ID :
23855
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 09:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/23855
The shortlink copeid
Sobhraj wedding reports "rumours": jail authorities
Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, Oct 10 (PTI) Nepal's central jail authorities Friday rubbished reports of murder convict Charles Sobhraj having married his teenage girlfriend in the prison calling it a 'rumour' and said the ritual they did was just a traditional Nepali practice during Dussehra festival.
"No rituals of a wedding were performed at the meeting,"
said Bir Bahadur Tamang, a junior staff at the Kathmandu
Central jail and a witness to the 15-minute meeting between
Sobhraj, Nihita and her mother Shakuntala.
A police official in-charge of security at the Jail said
"We had no information about the wedding before a news report
appeared in Indian media."
Confirming that a meeting did take place between Sobhraj
and Nihita Biswas in the jail premises Thursday, Tamang said
the two along with Nihita's mother exchanged 'Tikas' as per
the traditional practice on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami
festival but no wedding ceremony took place.
"There was no exchange of rings, no exchange of garlands
and no 'Sindur' or vermilion applied to the girl as is
required in the Nepalese tradition of marriage," Tamang
told PTI.
Nihita's mother applied a 'tika' on Sobhraj's forehead
as a blessing during the tenth day of Dussehra while Sobhraj
did the same to Nihita in a ritual that was also performed by
hundreds of other inmates at the prison, officials said.
However, Sobhraj was not available for comments as he is
not allowed to meet visitors except during Sundays and
Wednesdays.
Sobhraj was allowed to meet Nihita and her mother
Thursday on the special occasion of 'Dashain', Nepal's
biggest Hindu festival. According to some media reports
today, Sobhraj(64) tied the knot with his 19-year-old
girlfriend.
Meanwhile, a lawyer at the Supreme Court said Sobhraj
cannot marry the girl unless he obtains a clearance from the
French government that he is single.
"If he marries without getting formal divorce certificate
from his French wife, he will get up to three years'
imprisonment for committing polygamy as per Nepalese law,"
said lawyer Dinesh Tripathi.
Another jail staffer said that Charles might have spread
"mis-information" through Indian media as a publicity gimmick.
There are three cases relating to Sobhraj which are
pending in the Supreme Court. Two cases are related to the use
of fake passports and one with the murder of an American
tourist in 1975.
Nicknamed "bikini killer," Sobhraj has claimed innocence,
saying that police has accused him by producing fake
documents.
The next hearing of his case will be held only on October
19, because of the long Dussehra holiday in the country.
PTI SBP
Kathmandu, Oct 10 (PTI) Nepal's central jail authorities Friday rubbished reports of murder convict Charles Sobhraj having married his teenage girlfriend in the prison calling it a 'rumour' and said the ritual they did was just a traditional Nepali practice during Dussehra festival.
"No rituals of a wedding were performed at the meeting,"
said Bir Bahadur Tamang, a junior staff at the Kathmandu
Central jail and a witness to the 15-minute meeting between
Sobhraj, Nihita and her mother Shakuntala.
A police official in-charge of security at the Jail said
"We had no information about the wedding before a news report
appeared in Indian media."
Confirming that a meeting did take place between Sobhraj
and Nihita Biswas in the jail premises Thursday, Tamang said
the two along with Nihita's mother exchanged 'Tikas' as per
the traditional practice on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami
festival but no wedding ceremony took place.
"There was no exchange of rings, no exchange of garlands
and no 'Sindur' or vermilion applied to the girl as is
required in the Nepalese tradition of marriage," Tamang
told PTI.
Nihita's mother applied a 'tika' on Sobhraj's forehead
as a blessing during the tenth day of Dussehra while Sobhraj
did the same to Nihita in a ritual that was also performed by
hundreds of other inmates at the prison, officials said.
However, Sobhraj was not available for comments as he is
not allowed to meet visitors except during Sundays and
Wednesdays.
Sobhraj was allowed to meet Nihita and her mother
Thursday on the special occasion of 'Dashain', Nepal's
biggest Hindu festival. According to some media reports
today, Sobhraj(64) tied the knot with his 19-year-old
girlfriend.
Meanwhile, a lawyer at the Supreme Court said Sobhraj
cannot marry the girl unless he obtains a clearance from the
French government that he is single.
"If he marries without getting formal divorce certificate
from his French wife, he will get up to three years'
imprisonment for committing polygamy as per Nepalese law,"
said lawyer Dinesh Tripathi.
Another jail staffer said that Charles might have spread
"mis-information" through Indian media as a publicity gimmick.
There are three cases relating to Sobhraj which are
pending in the Supreme Court. Two cases are related to the use
of fake passports and one with the murder of an American
tourist in 1975.
Nicknamed "bikini killer," Sobhraj has claimed innocence,
saying that police has accused him by producing fake
documents.
The next hearing of his case will be held only on October
19, because of the long Dussehra holiday in the country.
PTI SBP
