Police ordered to produce 12 gamblers before court on Thursday

Kathmandu / Oct 30: The Supreme Court has ordered the police administration to produce 12 gamblers before the court on Thursday.

Responding to a habeas corpus petition registered at the apex court seeking the release of the 12 gamblers including Indra Bahadur Shrestha and gangster Balaram Sapkota aka ‘Bale’, a single bench of justice Purushottam Bhandari issued the order on Wednesday afternoon.

In its ruling, the court has asked the police administration to produce the 12 gamblers before the court within 24 hours.

With today’s ruling, twelve gamblers should remain in custody until the court issues the final verdict over the case.

On October 27, Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajgunj had apprehended 25 gamblers from a gambling den at Maharajgunj in the capital.

Six of 25 gamblers had filed the habeas corpus petition on the same day demanding their immediate release.

Likewise, additional six gamblers had filed the habeas corpus petition earlier today. Hence, the court ordered the police administration to produce the two groups of gamblers together to the court on Thursday.

The police had arrested them with Rs 26,700,000 in cash.

The arrested gamblers included businessman Shrawan Goyal and gangster Balaram Sapkota aka ‘Bale’.

Police said they have already started an investigation into the case in accordance with the Gambling Act after taking them into custody.