Resham Chaudhary, patron of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, was arrested on Wednesday at the venue of a joint event with the Janamat Party, where the two parties were set to formally announce their unification.

Police personnel in plainclothes arrested him from the Nepal Academy in Kamaladi, Kathmandu, where top leaders and cadres from both parties had gathered for the unification declaration programme.

Sharad Singh Yadav, spokesperson for the Janamat Party, told the Post that the arrest resembled a kidnapping and was intended to obstruct the formal merger between the two parties.

“The unification programme has been postponed following the arrest,” Yadav said. “It seems that the ruling parties are resolved to foil any efforts of unification between new forces.”

According to him, they will decide later on about the next date for the unification programme.

The CK Raut-led Janamat Party has six seats in the House of Representatives while the Unmukti Party has four. Both parties emerged as new regional forces from the 2022 general elections.

Superintendent of Police Apilraj Bohara, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Police Range, said the arrest was made to enforce a Supreme Court order. “We arrested him in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order,” said Bohara. “He has been taken to Dillibazar Jail following the arrest.”

Chaudhary, the former lawmaker convicted in connection with the 2015 Tikapur incident, was released in May 2023 after spending five years in prison.

Chaudhary was released from Dillibazar prison following a presidential pardon on the occasion of Republic Day.

President Ramchandra Paudel, on the government’s recommendation, commuted his remaining jail term. Chaudhary was serving a life term after being convicted of masterminding the 2015 Tikapur massacre.

Seven police personnel, including a Senior Superintendent of Nepal Police, and a toddler were killed during violent protests in Tikapur on August 24, 2015, in the run-up to the promulgation of the constitution.

The Nagarik Unmukti Party leader spent five years in prison.

A Cabinet meeting had requested President Paudel to pardon the remaining jail terms of 501 convicts, including Chaudhary, on the occasion of Republic Day.

The government made the recommendation as per Article 276 of the Constitution of Nepal. The President may, in accordance with law, grant pardons, suspend, commute or remit any sentence passed by any court, judicial or quasi-judicial institution or administrative authority or institution, the article says.