Aastha Raut released on Rs 4,000 bail

Kathmandu, January 28

District Administration Office, Kathmandu, today released pop singer Aastha Raut on Rs 4,000 bail.

Raut was sent to four-day police custody yesterday after she surrendered at the Metropolitan Police Range, Teku. She had been accused of misbehaving with an on-duty police constable deployed at Tribhuvan International Airport on January 15.

Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Janak Raj Dahal said, “We released Raut on bail after hearing both the sides. We reached today’s conclusion as she was found guilty of misbehaving with the duty officer.”

Dahal further said that the order was not a final verdict as the hearing was not over yet.

Raut seemed happy as she walked out of the DAO Kathmandu after the bail order. Talking to media she said that she had realised her mistake and should not have accused the police in such a manner. She also said that she was treated decently by the police during custody. “I have changed my perception towards police since yesterday. I felt like police were true friends of the public,” she said. Following the remand order, Raut was taken to Bir Hospital last night as she complained of hypertension.

DAO’s order to remand her in custody had drawn flak from the public. Many took to social media in Raut’s defence saying that she should have been released as she had already apologised for her behavior publicly. She had also apologised for her behaviour on the premises of MPR, Teku, yesterday before surrendering herself to the police in front of the media.

Raut had recorded her statement yesterday at Kathmandu District Government Attorney’s Office. But, due to lack of time, the case could not be presented to the District Administration Office, where cases of social offence are adjudicated.

District Attorney Chandra Kanta Khanal said that Raut had recorded statement saying that she had misbehaved during the security check at the airport on February 15, but it was instigated by the police constable deployed there who addressed her as ‘ta’, a Nepali version of you generally used for someone lower in rank or juniors.

The district attorney has demanded maximum punishment under section 118 of the criminal code for indecent behaviour, which attracts jail sentence up to one year or fine up to Rs 10,000 or both.

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