Bhatbhateni looters begin to walk free following court orders
The individuals had been arrested by the Kathmandu Crime Investigation Office for stealing items such as apples, alcohol, clothes, and cold drinks.
KATHMANDU: Several individuals involved in theft and looting during the royalist movement have started to be released from police custody.
On March 28, a group of people were arrested for stealing and looting items from the Bhatbhateni Superstore in Koteshwor.
According to SSP Bishwo Adhikari, the chief of the Kathmandu District Police Complex, the district court issued an order to release them on bail, which allowed their return home.
The individuals had been arrested by the Kathmandu Crime Investigation Office for stealing items such as apples, alcohol, clothes, and cold drinks.
Among them, eight individuals were released after the court deemed their offenses minor.
SSP Adhikari clarified that these individuals had acted impulsively rather than with malicious intent, and their brief time in custody was considered a sufficient penalty.
“The court also decided to release them without requiring a bond, instead placing them in the custody of their relatives,” Adhikari stated.
However, those facing charges related to more serious criminal acts, such as arson and vandalism, remain in police custody, and will not be released at this time.
