Monday, June 19 2006 10:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Two top ministers of the erstwhile Royal Government, arrested on charges of suppressing the countrywide people's movement, were freed yesterday (June 18, 2006) following a Supreme Court order.

Former Home Minister Kamal Thapa and former Local Development Minister Tanka Dhakal were released after a division Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Badri Kumar Basnet and Justice Sarda Kumar Basnet, reached the verdict that the Government lacked enough evidence to arrrest the duo and detain them illegally, officials said.

The former ministers were brought from Number Two battalion of Nepal Police at Maharajgunj to Kathmandu District Court before their release.

The Seven Party Alliance government had on May 12 arrested five ministers of the former Royal Government for their alleged involvement in suppressing the pro-democracy agitation on the recommendation of a high-level probe commission headed by a former Supreme Cort Judge Krishna Jung Raymajhi.

The other three former ministers Shris Shumsher Rana, Nikshya Shumsher Rana and Ramesh Nath Pandey have already been released based on a Supreme Court verdict.