The Birgunj bench of Janakpur High Court has called amicus curiae of lawyers to decide on the demand of government attorney to transfer the murder case against Nepali Congress leader Mohammad Aftab Alam to Parsa District Court from Rautahat, his home district.

Sri Narayan Singh Rajput, whose son Trilok Pratap was also killed in a bomb blast and subsequently thrown into a brick kiln under Alam’s direction in 2008, had appealed to the court demanding the transfer of the case. Rajput had moved to the Birgunj High Court after eyewitnesses of the murder were abducted by Alam’s supporters and forced to filed false court testimony to protect him.

Alam, who is a member of the House of Representatives, also threatened violence against the police officials who arrested him following the direction from Supreme Court.

Deepak Dhakal, the district judge of Rautahat who gave a verdict to send him to prison, and Khadindraraj Katwal, the district attorney who had filed a charge sheet against Alam demanding life imprisonment, had to leave the district on November 15 following threats and pressure while dealing with the case.

Rajput in his appeal has claimed Alam could influence the hearing process in his home district, and therefore, it is necessary to shift it to Parsa District Court for a fair trial. Responding to the case, a single bench of Chief Judge Dilli Raj Acharya called the amicus curiae from the High Court Bar Association in Birgunj for its suggestion.

There is a practice of seeking suggestions from the bar, which is not associated with the cases, in vital cases in the judiciary.

“A further hearing will be held on January 2, 2020, in a division bench,” reads the ruling issued by the court on Wednesday.