The Supreme Court has issued an order for the immediate cancellation of the clemency granted by President Ramchandra Paudel to Yoga Prasad Dhakal, also known as Regal. Furthermore, the bench has directed the re-arrest of Regal and his confinement in jail.

The senior-most judges of the full bench of the Supreme Court, namely Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Sapna Malla Pradhan, and Kumar Chudal, rendered the verdict, deeming the clemency, recommended by the Council of Ministers and granted by President Paudel, to be in violation of the law.

Regal had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment by all three levels of courts for the murder of Chetan Manandhar in Nepalgunj on 13th July, 2015. Additionally, his accomplices Chabilal Basnet, Premadhwaj Khatri, Prashant, Mohanlal Khadka, and Navraj Khatri were also sentenced to life imprisonment. Sohansingh Dhakal received a 10-year sentence, while Dipendra Malla and others were sentenced to varying terms.

Bharati, the wife of the victim Chetan, lodged a petition for the re-incarceration of the convicts, contending that the President’s decision to reduce the sentences of those convicted of heinous crimes by 60% constitutes a violation of the constitution and the rule of law.