The Department of Money Laundering Investigation in Pulchowk, Lalitpur, has notified the District Police Office in Rautahat to present Mohammad Aftab Alam at the department for an investigation into his properties. The Nepali Congress lawmaker has been in police custody since his arrest in connection with an explosion and the subsequent murder of at least 23 people in Rautahat 12 years ago.

Bhupendra Khatri, superintendent of police in Rauatahat, said Alam will be arrested again even if the court releases him on a general date, according to the letter sent by the department. “We notified the court on Thursday to send Alam to the department for an investigation into his properties,” he said. According to police, the department will conduct the investigations under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008.

On Thursday, the District Court began a formal trial on Alam’s case. The trial continued on Friday as well. The Rautahat District Attorney’s Office had filed a charge sheet against Alam, demanding his life imprisonment.

Alam was arrested on October 13 for his involvement in a bomb blast in Fradahawa, Rajpur, in the district on April 9, 2008. Police had registered ‘attempted murder’ and ‘holding, transporting explosive materials’ charges against him, and he faces charges of burning injured people alive in a brick kiln "to destroy evidence".

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