The Serpent to be tried for murder of Carriere

Kathmandu, October 24:

Jailed international serial killer Charles Gurumukh Sobhraj will face another charge once the Supreme Court issues its verdict in a murder case on November 4.

The apex court is scheduled to issue its verdict in connection with the alleged killing of an American national, Connie Jo Bronzich, in 1975. Challenging decisions of the lower courts to convict him in the case, Sobhraj had filed an appeal in the apex court.

Sobhraj will face a trial over the alleged killing of a Canadian national, Laurent Armond Carriere. A case in connection with the killing of Carriere has been pending in the Bhaktapur District Court (BDC). “He will face the trial as a case against him has been pending in the BDC,” Senior Superintendent of Police and chief of the crime branch of the Metropolitan Police, Upendra Kanta Aryal, told this daily today.

This case against Sobhraj has been pending for 32 years. The police had filed two cases against Sobhraj for allegedly killing Bronzich and Carriere in Kathmandu District Court (KDC) and BDC. The KDC had proceeded on the Bronzich case after Sobhraj entered Nepal in 2003.

However, Sobhraj has been claiming that he did not visit Nepal in 1975 and did not commit the murders.

“It is a general principle to initiate the next case pending in the court,” Aryal said. “Every accused should face all charges separately,” he said, adding, “But we cannot prosecute anyone twice on the same charge.”

Three years ago, the KDC had convicted Sobhraj of killing Bronzich and slapped a 20-year jail term. The Patan Appellate Court had upheld the KDC verdict.