Deepak Manange stripped of his parliamentary seat

KATHMANDU: Gandaki Province Assembly member Rajiv Gurung, also known as Deepak Manange, has been stripped of his parliamentary seat.

The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court revoked his position as a member of the provincial assembly on Wednesday. The bench also ruled that Gurung, who was deemed ineligible to be a candidate, contested the election and got elected by concealing information.

Gurung, who has been convicted of attempted murder, is currently serving his sentence in prison.

The Supreme Court, in November last year, upheld the decision of the then Patan Appellate Court to convict him. He had been suspended since the verdict came.

The appeals court had sentenced Gurung to five years in prison for attempted murder. However, the Supreme Court had previously ordered his release in January 2021.

Following his release, he contested the 2022 General Election and was elected from the Manang (B) constituency of the Gandaki Province Assembly as an independent candidate. However, Gurung was later sent back to prison by a subsequent order from the same court.

The court’s order has paved the way for holding by-elections in the constituency.