High Court orders release of eight accused in Darchula teacher death case

Darchula, September 14, 2026 — The High Court Dipayal, Mahendranagar bench has ordered the release on bail of eight people detained in connection with the death of Baldev Singh Dhami, headteacher of Sampal Secondary School in Byas Rural Municipality-4, Darchula.

The eight individuals had earlier been remanded to custody by the Darchula District Court for further proceedings in the case. The High Court has overturned the district court’s detention order and directed their release on bail.

A joint bench comprising High Court judges Matrika Prasad Bhandari and Giriraj Gautam issued the order.

Parmananda Bhatta and Dalidatta Bhatta, who are facing allegations of abetting suicide, have each been ordered to furnish bail of Rs 200,000.

Khimananda Bhatta, Haridatta Bhatta, Pushkar Raj Bhatta and Padam Raj Bhatta have each been ordered to post Rs 150,000 bail. Narendra Datta Bhatta and Bikram Singh Kunwar have each been ordered to furnish Rs 100,000.

The written court order had not reached Darchula District Jail as of Friday. Jail officials said the release process could not begin until the formal letter from the court was received.

Darchula District Jail Jailer Umesh Singh Bista said the authorities would begin the release process after receiving the official court communication.

Dhami was found hanging inside Sampal Secondary School in April and was subsequently declared dead.

Before his death, Dhami had published a Facebook post naming the eight individuals who are now defendants in the case. In the post, he alleged that they had subjected him to pressure that led him to take his own life.

Following the incident, police arrested the eight individuals and investigated them on allegations of abetting Dhami’s suicide.