Will 60% Jail Time Served Lead to Ranjan Koirala’s Release?

A hearing has been scheduled for the habeas corpus petition filed by former DIG of the Armed Police Force, Ranjan Prasad Koirala, seeking his release from custody. The hearing for Koirala's petition has been set before a joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Mahesh Sharma Paudel and Balkrishna Dhakal.

Koirala, who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife, Gita Dhakal, has approached the Supreme Court claiming he has already served 60 percent of his sentence.

In his habeas corpus petition, he claims that while 2,400 other prisoners were granted release, he was not, despite having completed 59 percent of his sentence by Saun 30, 2081 BS. He has demanded a sentence remission, citing his adherence to the law and his good conduct.

Koirala was arrested by police at Thankot on Magh 8, 2068 BS, while returning to Kathmandu from Narayangarh. He has been in custody since then. After being sentenced to life imprisonment by the District and Appellate Courts, the Supreme Court reduced his sentence to 8 years and 6 months on Ashar 15, 2077 BS, which led to his release at that time.

The joint bench of then Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Tej Bahadur KC had reduced the sentence, stating that the imprisonment would "adversely affect the care, protection, and education of his minor sons."

Chief Justice Rana and Justice KC had mitigated the punishment, arguing that a life sentence could be "excessively harsh" for Koirala. However, following a review of that Supreme Court decision, Koirala was sent back to prison.

The Kathmandu District Court had sentenced him to life imprisonment with confiscation of property on Baisakh 7, 2071 BS. That verdict was later upheld by the then Patan Appellate Court on Mangsir 23, 2072 BS.