The court said criminal proceedings against the in-laws could not be sustained as the allegations were general and lacked any specific instances of cruelty.

The court held that no case of deception was made out since the woman remained legally married throughout the period of the alleged relationship.

After demonstrations forced Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign from office, all eyes are now on Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, with online campaigns encouraging him to step beyond City Hall.