The District Police Office in Rautahat has filed two more cases against Mohammad Aftab Alam, a Nepali Congress lawmaker who was arrested in connection with an explosion and the subsequent murder of at least 23 people in Rautahat. The incident took place 12 years ago.

Alam was arrested on murder charges on October 13 and is in police custody since. Police have filed ‘attempted murder’ and ‘holding, transporting explosive materials’ cases against Alam. He faces charges of burning the injured alive in a brick kiln "to destroy the evidence".

“The District Police Office will submit the file in the District Attorney Office on Friday after completing investigations on three criminal charges against Alam,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Nabin Karki. “Police investigators have already taken statements from the victims’ family, the injured, and from eyewitnesses. We will submit the file in the District Attorney Office demanding appropriate action against him.”

Denying all the allegations, Alam had refused to undergo a polygraph test.

Alam was elected to the federal parliament from Rautahat-2 in the 2017 elections.