Rautahat, October 25
Rautahat District Court on Friday has remanded Nepali Congress leader Mohammad Aftab Alam’s in custody for eight more days.
This is the third time since his arrest on October 13 that the court has extended his remand. Police say Alam has not been cooperating with police in the investigation citing ‘poor health’.
Alam was arrested in connection with his involvement in a bomb blast in Rautahat district in April 2008. The ex-minister has been accused of burning his cadres and Indian nationals alive in a brick kiln in Rautahat. The cadres were reportedly making a bomb following Alam’s order and were injured when the bomb accidentally went off. Seven persons were killed in the blast.
As a part of the police investigation, two persons were arrested for their alleged involvement in the blast. Based on the statements given by the two accused during interrogation, police arrested NC lawmaker Alam, 11 years after the blast.
Alam was elected the House of Representatives member from Rautahat-2 in the 2017 parliamentary elections.
Denies wrongdoing
Alam, however, has denied any wrongdoing. Speaking with journalists at Rautahat District Court, Alam said that the arrest was part of political vendetta against him. He added that all the accusations against him were false and said that he was being framed.
“My arrest is irrelevant and is against the law. This is a vendetta against me; that’s all,” he said.
Silent rally in support of Alam
Nepali Congress, demanding a fair trial, took out a silent rally in Rautahat on Friday. Even though the rally didn’t shout slogans, the NC cadres did have placards with slogans on them. The rally commenced from BP Chok in Gaur passed via the district court and ended at NC’s district headquarters.
