In a recent ruling, Nepal’s Supreme Court upheld the attempted murder conviction of Gandaki Province lawmaker and former minister, Deepak Manange, also known as Rajiv Gurung. The decision comes after a long legal battle dating back to a 2004 violent incident involving Manange.
A panel of Supreme Court Justices Nahakul Subedi and Tek Prasad Dhungana found Manange guilty of attempted murder, aligning with an earlier judgment by the Patan High Court. Supreme Court spokesperson Achyut Kuinkel confirmed that Manange’s appeal to overturn the conviction was rejected, maintaining the Patan High Court’s original sentence of five years in prison.
The case traces back to an incident in 2004 when Manange, who has a known history of criminal activity, attacked another gang leader, Milan Gurung (also known as Milan Chakre), with a sword. The assault left Gurung with severe injuries to his hand. Initially, the Kathmandu District Court charged Manange’s group with assault, leading to a two-year prison sentence. However, the District Attorney’s Office later appealed this decision, resulting in the Patan High Court increasing the charge to attempted murder and extending Manange’s sentence to five years. Manange subsequently went into hiding.
Despite his criminal history, Manange was elected as an independent candidate from Manang in both the 2017 and 2022 elections. His position in the provincial assembly allowed him to secure various ministerial roles, although he recently criticized the political system and expressed frustration with ministerial duties.
In April 2018, Manange was imprisoned but had already secured his seat in the Gandaki Provincial Assembly. Having completed two years of his sentence, he now faces an additional three years in prison following the Supreme Court’s recent verdict.
