,The Supreme Court of Nepal has released the full text of its verdict on May 16, 2023, regarding the case of the killing of eight policemen and a minor, including SSP Lakshman Neupane, during the Tharuhat agitation in Tikapur, Kailali, on August 24, 2015.

In the published full text of the decision made by the joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Anand Mohan Bhattarai and Nahkul Subedi, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to withdraw the case against Resham Lal Chaudhary, who is considered the main planner of the incident.

The Supreme Court emphasized that in a democratic system, people have the right to express their grievances in a peaceful and organized manner. The court stated that killing unarmed individuals is a violation of criminal law and should not be politicized.

The full text of the decision highlights that participating in violence under any pretext and incitement cannot be justified by the law. The court emphasized that the country’s criminal law does not tolerate conspiracy, planning, or any form of participation in such activities. It warned that allowing such actions would jeopardize the rule of law and put the lives of innocent citizens at risk.

The court also reiterated that the primary responsibility of the state is to protect the lives, property, and freedom of citizens under the rule of law. Granting immunity to those responsible for killing innocent and unarmed individuals under political or any other pretext contradicts the role of the state as a protector of justice.

Furthermore, the court criticized the withdrawal of cases prosecuted under political bargaining or for political interests, as well as actions such as granting pardons that undermine established values, the legal system, the constitution, and principles of justice.

Resham Lal Choudhary, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the District Court in Kailali and the High Court in Dipayal for his involvement in the Tikapur massacre, had his sentence upheld by the joint bench of Justices Bhattarai and Subedi on May 16, 2023. However, on the recommendation of the government, President Ramchandra Paudel granted amnesty to 501 individuals, including Resham Chaudhary, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, on Republic Day on May 29, 2023.