The Nepal Police is preparing to lodge a treason case against Chairman of Alliance for Independent Madhesh (AIM) CK Raut who is in police custody since Sunday.
Raut's family had lodged a habeas corpus petition at the Rautahat District Court immediately after his arrest on Sunday but the court revoked the petition and granted judicial custody of four days for investigation.
The courts earlier had been releasing him citing lack of evidence after repeated arrests. A police source told Setopati that a treason case will be lodged against him this time by gathering sufficient evidence when he remains in custody.
Police accuse Raut of inflammatory statements and activities for an independent Madhes and claim that Raut has burnt the constitution and formed military wing. "Raut has been involved in many activities that qualify as treason," SP with Rautahat Police Kedar Dhakal said. "The district court has granted us permission to move the investigation forward keeping him in custody."
Police have started to dig up his past activities to gather sufficient evidence this time.
He can be jailed for five years and fined up to Rs 50,000 as per the provision in the new General Criminal Code for treason. Clause 4 of the code recommends the punishment for anyone involved in activities against Nepal's sovereignty, territorial and provincial integrity, nationalism and national unity, national independence, and trying to disrupt harmony among different ethnicities and communities.
