Kathmandu, April 17 -- The Janakpur High Court has acquitted controversial spiritual leader Ram Bahadur Bomjan in a child sexual abuse case, citing the expiry of the statute of limitations.

The high court overturned the verdict of the Sarlahi District that had on July 1, 2024 convicted Bomjan of sexual abuse.

In its verdict, a division bench of justices Khemraj Bhatta and Narishwar Bhandari of the high court concluded that the legal proceedings of the district court was faulty arguing that the case against Bomjan had been filed after expiry of the statute of the limit.

The high court's full text released on Wednesday stated that the 10-year prison sentence and Rs500,000 fine imposed by the Sarlahi District Court on July 1, 2024, could ...