Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Senior Vice-chairman Rabindra Mishra was freed on Friday following a Supreme Court order.

A joint bench of justices Kumar Chudal and Til Prasad Shrestha issued the order on Friday.

The court directed Mishra’s release under the surety of his legal representative, with a provision to summon him again if further evidence is required or if the case proceeds to trial.

Mishra’s wife, Sarika Karki, had filed a habeas corpus petition at the apex court on May 13, claiming that police had unlawfully detained her husband.

She moved the top court after the Kathmandu District Court kept on extending Mishra’s remand for over one-and-a-half months.

On May 14, a single bench of Justice Sunil Kumar Pokharel issued a show cause order and instructed the authorities to present Mishra before the court.

On Thursday, government attorneys produced Mishra at the Supreme Court, but the petition was not heard that day.

Specifying the ground for his release, the court cited that the Kathmandu District Court had already collected necessary evidence and there was no difficulty gathering further evidence from him if needed. Ruling out the need for extended custody, the court ordered his release under the surety of legal advisers that he will be produced before the authorities if that is necessary to file a case against him or in pursuit of additional evidence.

Mishra was arrested following a protest on March 28 at Tinkune, Kathmandu, organised by the Joint People’s Movement Committee led by Nabaraj Subedi, demanding the restoration of monarchy, among other agendas. The demonstration turned violent, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and the loss of property.

Police arrested Mishra, RPP General Secretary and lawmaker Dhawal Shamsher Rana, among others, following the protest. Rana, however, was released citing his health condition.

Police had been keeping Mishra in custody and investigating him on charges related to sedition, organised crime, and criminal mischief.

Controversial businessman Durga Prasai, who led the Tinkune protest as ‘field commander’, is still in police custody.