No ground to implicate Karki, Kafle in murder, say defence lawyers

Biratnagar, May 16

Lawyers pleading on behalf of accused in the case related to 33 kg gold smuggling and subsequent murder of Sanam Shakya have expressed surprise that those injured in the murder incident should be implicated.

Lawyers pleading on behalf of defendants said after the smuggled gold went missing smugglers had meted out physical torture to Narendra Karki and Mohan Kafle along with Sanam Shakya. They expressed surprise that Karki and Kafle, who were tortured by Chudamani Upreti and his group should be implicated in the murder. Dipak Khatiwada and Rupesh Koirala had defended Karki and Kafle. They argued that there was no ground for implicating Karki and Kafle in the murder case as they were tortured along with Shakya.

District Office of the Attorney had filed a case at the court by making 63 persons defendants in the gold smuggling incident. Of them, 30 are in police custody while 33 are at large. During police interrogation, Karki and Kafle had admitted that they were tortured by Chudamani Upreti and his group. As many as 10 lawyers had pleaded on behalf of the defendants today.

Senior advocate Hikmat Poudel and Khagendra Shrestha had defended police constable Bishnu Bahadur Khadka while Ganeshraj Luitel and Nabin Karki had pleaded on behalf of Madan Ghimire. Similarly, Gyanendra Thapa had defended Bal Krishna Shrestha, Hemant Gautam and Madan Ghimire. Shivraj Chauhan had pleaded on behalf of suspended DSP Sanjay Raut.

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