Kathmandu, June 26 -- The Special Court on Wednesday decided to release CPN (Unified Socialist) chair and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Rs3.5 million bail after conducting a detention hearing in connection with the high-profile Patanjali land scam case. The hearing lasted nearly three hours. The final outcome will be determined through further proceedings, the court said.

Nepal, who appeared before the court earlier in the day, gave his statement until 2pm. The detention hearing began immediately afterwards, with both the prosecution and defence presenting their arguments on whether the former prime minister should be taken into custody, released on bail, or freed on an ordinary date.

The Commission for the Investigation o...