Lumbini Province MP Rekha Kumari Sharma has been released from custody after a Kathmandu court ruled there was no legal basis to keep her detained in a child-related offence case.
The order was issued by the bench of Judge Jagat Bahadur Poudel at the Kathmandu District Court, where Sharma had been presented for an extension of her remand. The court concluded that further detention was unnecessary, citing an earlier decision from the Office of the Attorney General not to pursue charges against her.
According to the court, the Attorney General’s Office had already decided on Jestha 16 that no case would be filed against Sharma. In light of that decision, the bench stated that continuing to hold her in custody for trial proceedings was unjustified. The court directed authorities to release her immediately while allowing the investigation process to continue.
Sharma had been arrested by police on Chaitra 16 following a new complaint filed a day earlier. Despite the new complaint, the arrest was linked to the same previous allegation involving a child-related offence.
During the remand hearing, government attorneys argued that the original case file had been destroyed in a fire, raising complications in verifying documents. The court had initially granted a three-day extension to allow officials to confirm the status of the file.
The case has drawn attention due to concerns over procedural handling, including the reported loss of critical documents. Legal observers say the court’s decision underscores the importance of prior prosecutorial findings when determining continued detention.
The release of Rekha Kumari Sharma is expected to influence how similar cases are handled, particularly where earlier decisions have already declined prosecution.
