By Our Reporter

Nepali Congress leader Mohammad Aftab Alam, who was jailed for burning people alive by throwing them in the furnace of brick kilns has been acquitted of murder charges.

With the temporary bench of the High Court, Janakpur in Birgunj, acquitting Alam of murder charges by overturning the conviction by Rautahat District Court, the family of the victims have been terrified while the decision of the High Court has been dragged into controversy stating that the verdict has promoted impunity. 

The High Court’s joint bench of Justices Khushi Prasad Tharu and Arjun Maharjan delivered the verdict on Tuesday last week, clearing Alam of charges related to a 2008 incident in Rajpur, Rautahat, in which individuals injured in a bomb explosion were allegedly burned alive in a brick kiln. The case stemmed from a deadly blast that occurred a day before the first Constituent Assembly elections in  2008.

Of the two judges giving the verdict, Khushi Prasad Tharu, was appointed from NC quota. Alam was released because of the pro-NC judges.

The Rautahat District Court had previously found Alam guilty, sentencing him to life imprisonment for orchestrating the incident and subsequently disposing of the victims to cover up the crime. Following the conviction, Alam had been serving his sentence at Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur.

However, the High Court found insufficient grounds to uphold the conviction, leading to Alam’s release from custody on Wednesday last week.

When Alam's release was dragged into controversy, a complaint was registered at the Judicial Council against the two justices of the High Court.

Meanwhile, Alam suffered a brain haemorrhage immediately after his release and is now in hospital in Kathmandu.