KATHMANDU, Aug 23: Seven days after the Supreme Court (SC) convicted him of corruption, Nepali Congress (NC) leader and former minister Khum Bahadur Khadka surrendered before Kathmandu District Court (KDC) on Wednesday.
After aides deposited Rs 7.5 million as fine on his behalf, Khadka was sent to Dilli Bazaar Jail Wednesday itself. Khadka can get a 20 percent discount in both jail sentence and fines.
As per the law, a convict can get a 20 percent discount in both jail term and fines if he/she surrenders before the court within 60 days of a guilty verdict.
A division bench of Justices Kalyan Shrestha and Baidyanath Upadhyaya had slapped a one-and-a-half-year jail sentence on Khadka along with confiscation of the corruption amount of Rs 9.47 million and a fine of the same amount.
Khadka arrives at court. (Photo: Dipesh Shrestha)
The court found that Khadka acquired movable and immovable property valued at Rs 9.47 million from undisclosed sources following his stints as minister with various portfolios from 1991 onwards.
"I disagree with the SC verdict; an injustice has been done to me," Khadka told media persons at KDC premises before heading for Dilli Bazaar Jail, adding, "I am present here out of respect for the SC and so am going to jail today."
He accused SC Justices Shrestha and Upadhyaya of passing the verdict unfairly and out of bias. "This is nothing more than bias; the verdict has been passed as part of a conspiracy to end my political career, especially to bar me from participating in the upcoming general election to be held in April," Khadka added.
He maintained that he would get justice from the court through a revision of the verdict. Khadka stated that they would move the SC within a week for a revision.
Khadka speaks to media. (Photo: Dipesh Shrestha)
Asked how he was feeling, Khadka said with a smile, "I am not feeling anything as I have already served jail terms for eight years." He added that he considered jail a sacred house.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the SC verdict, Khadka stated, "The Nepali people cannot measure my political career through a verdict passed by two justices of the SC; I will go to the people´s court after my release and the people´s support for me will come to light."
Khadka, accompanied by dozens of party cadres, had arrived at KDC at 2 p.m. Before leaving KDC for Dilli Bazaar Jail, he urged security personnel to make necessary preparations, saying he would address media persons and NC cadres at the court premises. Security had been beefed up at KDC.
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