The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the presidential pardon granted to Nagarik Unmukti Party founder Resham Chaudhary, who was serving a life sentence for his role in the 2015 Tikapur killings.

A bench of justices Sharanga Subedi and Shrikanta Paudel dismissed a writ petition filed by Sharada Kadayat, the wife of police inspector Keshav Bohara, who was killed in the incident, challenging President Ramchandra Paudel’s decision to waive Chaudhary’s remaining sentence.

President Paudel granted Chaudhary a pardon on May 28, 2023, on the recommendation of the then government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The decision was made under Article 276 of the Constitution, which allows the president, in accordance with law, to pardon, suspend, commute or remit sentences imposed by courts and other judicial or quasi-judicial bodies.

The pardon came just days after the Supreme Court upheld Chaudhary’s life sentence in the Tikapur case. The full text of that verdict had not been issued when the pardon was granted.

Chaudhary was convicted of being a main planner of the violence in Tikapur, Kailali, on August 24, 2015, during a Tharuhat movement. Eight people, including seven security personnel and a child, were killed in the violence.