Sanam murder, 33kg gold smuggling: Gore sentenced to 10 extra years
Gore, identified as the chief architect of the case, had earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment (20 years) for murder by the District Court.
KATHMANDU: The Biratnagar High Court has handed an additional 10-year prison sentence to Chudamani Upreti, alias ‘Gore’, in the high-profile 33-kilogram gold smuggling and Sanam Shakya murder case, ruling on charges of abduction and unlawful confinement.
The verdict, announced on Saturday by a bench of Justices Mahendra Nath Upadhyaya and Prakash Chandra Adhikari, partially overturned the previous judgment by the Morang District Court.
While Gore now faces a total of 30 years behind bars, other accused saw modifications to their sentences.
Gore, identified as the chief architect of the case, had earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment (20 years) for murder by the District Court.
With the High Court’s ruling, he will serve an additional 10 years for abduction-related charges.
Meanwhile, sentences for several co-accused were reduced. Narendra Karki, Mohan Kafle, and Bhojraj Bhandari, previously sentenced to life, now face 10-year terms each.
Madan Silwal, identified as a key participant in the murder, was sentenced to three years, while Lakpa Sherpa and Bhavin Tamang’s life sentences were upheld.
On the gold smuggling front, the High Court ruled that evidence was insufficient to uphold charges of organized crime and customs fraud.
The court also reaffirmed the acquittals of former police officials, including ex-DIG Govinda Prasad Niraula, former SSPs Shyam Bahadur Khatri and Divesh Lohani (currently AIG), and other senior officers previously cleared by the District Court.
The hearings, which began on Feb 3, concluded with a mix of strengthened and reduced sentences, reflecting the court’s careful reassessment of evidence and responsibility in one of the country’s most notorious criminal cases.
