The authorities released two Nepali Congress-Democratic (NC-D) leaders following the Supreme Court (SC)’s order on Thursday.

Acting upon a writ petition filed at the SC, a division bench of Justices Paramananda Jha and Pawan Kumar Ojha ordered for the release of Pradeep Giri and Bimilandra Nidhi terming their detention as illegal, according to reports.

They were detained at the Royal Nepalese Army’s Kharipati Barrack in Bhaktapur since January 19, one day before the proposed mass meeting of the seven political parties.

Talking to journalists upon their release, the leaders said that there is no other alternative than to intensify the peaceful agitation of the seven political parties to restore democracy in the country.

CPN-UML general secretary, who was placed under house arrest from January 19, is still under house arrest.

The government also has not released some rights activists and representatives of the civil society who were arrested from peaceful demonstration for the restoration of democracy.