Six sentenced to life in Binod Shahi murder case

In a significant legal development, the High Court Dipayal has sentenced six individuals to life imprisonment for the 2022 murder of 15-year-old Binod Shahi. This ruling overturns a previous district court decision that had acquitted or handed down reduced sentences. The murder took place in Panchdewal Binayak Municipality of Aachham, amidst escalating political tensions after the 2022 local elections.

The division bench, led by Chief Judge Dinesh Prasad Yadav and Judge Poonam Singh Chand, delivered the verdict on Monday. Sajjan Shahi, Mahendra Shahi, Birendra Shahi, Devendra Shahi, Prithvi Shahi, and Akkal Shahi were convicted under Section 177(2) of the National Penal Code, 2017. Sajjan Shahi is notably the Nepali Congress Panchdewal Binayak municipal president. Each of the six convicts is also ordered to pay Rs 100,000 in compensation to the victim's family.

The case dates back to May 2022, when political clashes between supporters of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML intensified following election results. Binod Shahi, a tenth-grade student, went missing on May 31 and was found dead four days later near Panchdewal Campus. His family filed a police complaint accusing 13 people, alleging the murder was politically motivated due to an election-related dispute.

While the High Court convicted six, it upheld the District Court's earlier decision to acquit four other individuals: Danmati Bam Shahi, Dropati Shahi, Karn Bahadur Shahi, and Shanti Kumari Shahi. The district court had initially acquitted all accused on November 20, 2025.