Activists of Sajha Bibeksheel Party staged a protest rally in Kathmandu yesterday against the Supreme Court’s decision to shorten the prison sentence handed to Ranjan Koirala, a former DIG of the Armed Police Force, convicted of the murder of his wife eight-and-a-half years ago.

On June 29, a division bench of Chief Justice (CJ) Cholendra Sumsher Rana and Justice Tej Bahadur KC had decided to shorten the life imprisonment sentence handed to Koirala by 11 years.

Koirala was found guilty of murdering his wife Gita Dhakal in January, 2012. Koirala had killed his wife at their Budhanilkantha residence, cut her body into pieces and burned them at Tistung of Makawanpur district.

Koirala was released on Thursday after serving eight-and-a-half years’ jail term.

The Office of the Attorney General filed a petition at the Supreme Court seeking a review of the decision on the same day Koirala was released.

A similar protest was also held in Maitighar Mandala on Friday demanding impeachment of CJ Rana for his role in shortening Koirala’s prison term.