The Special Court Wednesday extended the judicial custody of Nepal Students Union (NSU) leader Gagan Thapa by five more days.

Gagan thapa (File photo)
Thapa was presented before a full bench of the Special Court this morning, which gave permission to the police authorities to detain him for five more days. The Katmandu District Police Office had appealed to the court to extend his custody by 15 days, it is learnt.

Students gathered in front of the Special Court had chanted slogans against the court ruling.

Coming out of the courtroom, Thapa reacted: “These developments indicate that the autocratic regime is rupturing from inside. Not even Lord Pashupati Nath is going to save it from being doomed.”

The Special Court had sent him to seven-day custody on July 27.

Thapa, a former general secretary of the NSU, was arrested by plainclothes policemen from Anam Nagar last Wednesday when he was returning to his home after meeting student leaders detained at Anam Nagar Police Office.

Accusing him of sloganeering against the institution of monarchy authorities are preparing to lodge a sedition case against him under the Offences against the State Act.

There have been angry student protests in Katmandu against Thapa’s arrest while the Amnesty International has declared him as prisoner of conscience. There are half a dozen other leaders in government custodies around Kathmandu at the moment.