KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu District Court has convicted Rajesh Ahiraj, also known as Rajesh Jha, the former Province Head of Madhesh Province, in a high-profile rape case.

The verdict, delivered on Tuesday by Judge Chandra Kanta Paudel, marks the culmination of a legal battle that began after a woman employed at his Thapagaon residence filed a complaint accusing him of raping her in her room on May 17, 2024.

Ahiraj, a high-profile intellectual who holds a PhD in the Madhesh movement and previously worked as a newspaper editor, had been appointed as Province Head by the Kp Sharma Oli government in February 2021 before being removed under the subsequent Sher Bahadur Deuba administration.

Following the initial complaint, Ahiraj hid in India for an extended period before being apprehended upon his return to Kathmandu last summer.

He has remained in custody at the Central Jail in Sundhara since July 2025, following a pre-trial detention order by Judge Pitambar Sharma, an action that was later upheld by the Patan High Court in August 2025.

With his guilt officially established by the district court, the bench has scheduled a final hearing for Thursday to formally determine the length of his prison sentence.