Two hours with Charles Shobhraj "The Serpent"

Kathmandu, 23 December (2022) - Notorious serial killer Charles Shobhraj is in custody of the Department of Immigration (DoI) following a Supreme Court order to release him from prison.

French citizen Shobhraj has been taken to the DoI custody directly from Central Jail. He is to be deported to France in the evening.

DoI has completed the legal and documentation process for the deport. Shobhraj has been banned for 10 years to enter Nepal.

The Department had asked Shobhraj's lawyers to bring his travel documents and passport from the French embassy. Lawyers had completed the process yesterday.

Shobhraj's ticket to France via Qatar had been issued within an hour of his entry in DoI custody.

He is to be deported at 6 pm.

Shobhraj has deposited the fine of Rs. 50,000 at the DoI. He is to be deported to his country after paying all fines and liabilities.

"I can't put out my cap and glasses"

The police had brought Charles Shobhraj aka The Serpent to DoI at 12:40 pm.

Two vehicles had been used to take Shobhraj to DoI with adequate security precautions.

A dummy criminal had been used to mislead journalists and other people. Shobhraj was brought to DoI in secrecy while another person was shown to the public.

Around 45 minutes were spent to complete the process at Law Section in the Department. The remaining process was accomplished in the office of DoI Director Pradarshani Kumari.

Shobhraj didn't allow to take his pictures in the beginning. But he consented after DoI officers told him that his photos had to be sent to the embassy.

He had put on blue fibre jacket, his signature cap and glasses. The embassy had asked for his photograph without cap and glasses. But he refused to doff them.

He said, "I can't put out my cap and glasses. It's my signature (cap)." DoI officers were in a fix to hear this.

Later, they persuaded him to put out cap and glasses. His photograph was taken amidst heavy security.

He then phoned a French woman for the 50,000 rupees to be paid to the DoI.

He had spoken in French language initially. At the end reply came from the other side, "I'll pay within 30 minutes."

He even uttered the name of Nikita Bishwas.

Nikita was Shobhraj's attorney as well as his girlfriend.

Shobhraj was calm most of the time but he burst out time and again.

Kerfuffle between police and Shobhraj's attorneys

Shobhraj was brought to DoI premises with close surveillance by two Deputy Superintendents of Police, two Police Inspectors and some police personnel.

Security was heavy around the premises. The police had forbidden even the civil servants and service-seekers to take out their mobile phones.

During that period police and Shobhraj's lawyers exchanged heated words.

The police stopped Shobhraj's lawyer when the latter tried to enter the office of DoI director. He asked the police to let him in.

The police officer replied, "You are not required now. You can go now."

But the lawyer still tried to enter.

That police officer repeated, "Please go, there is nothing for you here."

Then the lawyer burst out. He exchanged heated words with the police officer.

Civil servants in DoI were dumbfounded for a while.

Later, both of them cooled down.

Notorious criminal Charles Shobhraj has been released from Nepali prison after 19 years and three months. He was charged in the case of a murder of an American and a Canadian person in 1975 when he came to Nepal for the first time.

He had managed to run away by deceiving the police at that time. But the police arrested him in 2003 when he came to Nepal.

He spent almost two decades in Nepali prison after a court issued a sentence of life imprisonment to him.

The Apex Court had ordered to release and deport Shobhraj to France on grounds of remit given to senior citizens and his health condition.

The court had issued a verdict on Shobhraj's writ petition on Wednesday but he was released only on Friday.