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By Our Reporter

Gandaki Provincial Assembly member Rajiv Gurung, aka Deepak Manange, was arrested and sent to Dillibazar Prison in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

A team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested Manange while hiding in Comfort Housing in the Sano Bharyang area of Sitapaila. Manange was out of contact since the Supreme Court, on November 5, sentenced him to prison under the charges of attempt to murder.

Manange was accused of an attempt to murder for his attack on Milan Gurung, aka Chakre Milan, in May 2004. He was then sentenced to two years in prison by the District Court while allowing his accomplices to leave.

Later, the High Court increased Manange’s sentence to five years while upholding the other decision.

The government attorneys then reached the Supreme Court on February 15, 2019, against the High Court order. In between the incidents, Manange presented himself before the apex court and also stayed in prison twice for a total of 2 years and 8 months under the same case.

And after over five years, the Supreme Court gave its final verdict in the case and upheld the decision of the Patan High Court. However, after the decision of the joint bench of Justices Nahakul Subedi and Tek Prasad Dhungana a week ago, Manange disappeared and police began their manhunt.

As per the laws, Manange should now fulfil the remaining term, of 2 years and 4 months, in prison. He has been kept in Dillibazar Prison for this purpose.

Following the SC verdict and his arrest, Manange’s Gandaki Provincial Assembly Member post has been terminated.

Manange entered politics in 2017 from Manang as an independent candidate and has worked as a minister in Gandaki Province six times in support of different parties. He then again won the elections in 2022.