Kathmandu, August 1:

Alleged international serial killer, Charles Sobhraj Gurumukh, today filed an application at the Appellate Court, Patan, requesting it to hear his lawyers’ arguments for two consecutive days on an appeal challenging a Kathmandu District Court verdict that slapped a 20-year term on him. Sobhraj is currently serving the term on charges of killing an American national Connie Jo Bronzich in 1975. Citing insufficient time granted by courts to his lawyers, Sobhraj urged the court to provide more time to put forth their arguments. He said the court is just giving a day for a hearing and this has delayed a verdict on the case in the past. Though the court had scheduled hearings four times in the past, it could not pronounce a verdict. Yet another hearing is scheduled for Thursday. “My six lawyers and another from the prosecution side cannot put forth all their arguments in the given time. The court can give its verdict only if it schedules two days of continuous hearing,” he argued. Sobhraj forwarded the petition before the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Office of the Chief Justice and the Ministry of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.