This is not a defeat: Durga Prasai

KATHMANDU: Medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai has been released after a Supreme Court order.

He was in the custody of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on charges of organized crime and illicit benefits.

According to CIB spokesperson SP Hobindra Bogati, Prasai has been released into the custody of his son Nirajan.

Bogati stated that Prasai has been summoned to appear for a surety hearing on Sunday. A decision on the frequency of his future appearances will be made after the hearing.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had ordered Prasai to be presented before the court within 24 hours. Following the directive, police presented him to the court on Friday.

After his release, Prasai expressed gratitude for receiving justice from the court. He declared himself a voice for the working class and vowed to continue his fight against smugglers. “I have not been defeated. This is not a loss. This is my victory, your victory,” he said to supporters while seated in a vehicle.

Prasai’s son, Nirajan, had filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court, citing his father’s fragile health condition as a cancer patient requiring medication and complete rest.

Acting on the petition, the Supreme Court issued an order on Thursday for the police to present Prasai within 24 hours.

On Friday, a bench comprising Justices Nahakul Subedi and Sharanga Subedi directed the authorities to release Prasai from custody.

Previously, Prasai was released on bail by the Kathmandu District Court in a cybercrime case.

However, the CIB had rearrested him on charges of organized crime shortly afterward.