Supreme Court affirms presidential pardon for former lawmaker Resham Chaudhary

The Supreme Court upheld the presidential pardon issued to Resham Chaudhary, the founder of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, who was serving a life sentence for his role in the 2015 Tikapur killings. Justices Sharanga Subedi and Shrikanta Paudel dismissed a writ petition brought by Sharada Kadayat, the widow of police inspector Keshav Bohara, who was among those killed. President Ramchandra Paudel had granted the pardon on May 28, 2023, based on a recommendation from the then-government of Pushpa Kamal Dahal and under Article 276 of the Constitution.

The pardon came shortly after the Supreme Court had previously upheld Chaudhary’s life sentence, though the full verdict text was not yet released. Chaudhary was found guilty of orchestrating the violence during the Tharuhat movement in Tikapur, Kailali, which resulted in eight fatalities, including a child. The court’s ruling means the pardon remains in force and the life sentence is effectively waived.