Kathmandu, April 3

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has arrested a prime suspect wanted for the murder of an Italian tourist two decades ago.

Tashi Gurung, now 40, of Nawal VDC, Manang, and others had allegedly thrashed and stabbed David Carraro (21) to death in Reggae Pub on October 30, 1995, when he tried to resist them from eve-teasing and sexually harassing two of his women friends. He succumbed to multiple injuries.

Eight other suspects, however, are still at large. SSP Manoj Neupane said Tashi’s arrest could lead to the arrest of others. Tashi was held from room number 302 of Hotel Courtyard, Thamel, on Friday and was paraded at a press meet today.  Some of them are said to be living in various countries and the CIB is trying to find their whereabouts with help from Interpol.

According to SSP Neupane, Tashi went into hiding in different places of Nepal and India for around one-and-a-half years. Tashi’s father Tenzing Gurung aka Kalu Gurung then bought him a passport (2961550) issued in the name of Sandup Ghale of Sama VDC, Gorkha, with US visa for Rs 450,000. Tashi fled to America using the passport. He also obtained a fake citizenship certificate with the same name. The citizenship certificate (No. 16312) was found to have been originally issued in the name of Bimala Devi Pokharel of Chhoprak, Gorkha.

SSP Neupane informed that Gurung had also acquired Green Card in the United States and stayed their for 15 years before he returned home in 2013. He had been living with family in Naya Bazaar.  It is learnt that Tashi never revealed his identity and did not acquire any legal document like citizenship certificate and passport bearing his real name to avoid arrest.

Similarly, a driving licence (02-531015) issued in the name of Sandup that he possessed was issued in the name of Chaumaya Limbu of Amardaha, Morang. He will face multiple charges under the ‘Forgery Chapter’ of Muliki Ain, Passports Act, Citizenship Act and murder.

DIGP Nawa Raj Silwal, CIB Director, said, “The success in bringing to book the perpetrator 20 years after the incident that discouraged many Italians from visiting Nepal shows that criminals can never escape from Nepal Police, no matter how long it takes to track them down.”