Gandaki Provincial Assembly Member Rajeev Gurung, Alias Deepak Manange, Sent to Prison for Attempted Murder

Rajeev Gurung, also known as Deepak Manange, a member of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly, has been sent to Dillibazar Jail following his arrest on charges of attempted murder. The Kathmandu District Court made the decision on Tuesday, confirmed by the court’s information officer, Melish Baskota.

Gurung was apprehended by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police at a residence in Sitapaila, Kathmandu, on Tuesday morning. He was presented before the court in the afternoon to enforce the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. On November 5, the Supreme Court found him guilty in an attempted murder case dating back nearly two decades.

The case stems from a 2004 incident where Gurung attacked Milan Gurung, known as Chakre Milan, with a sword, resulting in the severe injury of Milan’s hand, which was later surgically reattached. Milan’s wife, Indira Gurung, subsequently filed an attempted murder complaint against Gurung. Initially, the Kathmandu District Court had classified the attack as assault, sentencing some involved to a two-year prison term. However, the District Government Attorney’s Office appealed, leading to a 2012 verdict by the then Patan Appellate Court that convicted Gurung of attempted murder and sentenced him to five years.

Having already served two years and eight months, Gurung now faces two years and four months in prison to complete his sentence.

Despite his legal troubles, Gurung was elected to the Gandaki Provincial Assembly as an independent candidate representing Manang in 2022 and has served multiple terms as a minister in Gandaki Province.