Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 25:

After almost three decades, the parents of Connie Jo Claborn Bronzich feel they have received justice at the hands of Nepali authorities. Connie’s parents have written appreciation letters to Nepali authorities for being successful in convicting Charles Gurumukh Sobhraj for murdering their daughter some 29 years ago.

“Mrs Claborn and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Nepali authorities for their dedication and relentless pursuit of justice for the man responsible for the murder of our daughter,” wrote John B Claborn, the father of Connie, from Kalaheo, Kauai, Hawaii in America. Based on several circumstantial evidences, on August 12, 2004, the Kathmandu District Court convicted Sobhraj of murdering Connie and slapped a life sentence on him. Now the case is at the Appellate Court as Sobhraj has challenged the verdict claiming it was unjust to convict him without any direct evidence. “We realise the successful apprehension and conviction Sobhraj required many hours of investigation and a great degree of proficiency on the part of those involved,” states the letter obtained by The Himalayan Times. The officials received the letter recently, which was dispatched on September 10, 2004, through the Embassy of the US in Kathmandu.

Connie’s parents have expressed their deepest gratitude to those from various fields of law who were involved in the prosecution and decision-making regarding the case. They have particularly thanked former inspector Bishow Lal Shrestha, DSP Ganesh KC, government attorney Surya Nath Prakash Adhikary, and KDC Judge Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha.