Man nabbed for 1995 murder of Italian tourist

KATHMANDU, April 3: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has arrested a 40 years old man on the charge of his involvement in a 1995 murder of an Italian national in Thamel. The murder had happend during a brawl in a Thamel bar, according to CIB.

The arrested man has been identified as Tashi Gurung of Manang VDC of Manang district. He hid in United States of America for more than 15 years by acquiring permanent residency using a fake identity. Police revealed that the accused had been living in Nepal for the last three and a half years."The man is found to have acquired a passport under the name of Sandup Ghale with support of his father Tenzing Gurung aka Kalu Manange," SSP Manoj Neupane of CIB said during a press briefing. After the alleged murder of the Italian tourist, the accused is found to have hidden in various places in India and Nepal for about a year and a half, police said.

Following the 1995 murder, police had arrested a man named Khansung Gurung from a Kathmandu suburb, but the main suspect Tashi fled to the US using a passport belonging to one Sandup Ghale. The passport with a US visa was procured by Tashi's father for Rs 450,000, according to police.

According to police investigation, David Carraro, 27, an Italian tourist, had accompanied his two female friends -- Antonella and Lara -- at the Reggae Pub operated by Ram Krishan Dangol around 10 PM. There was a brawl at the bar and Tashi and his friends stabbed the tourist to death. Cararro was immediately rushed to the Bir hospital by the pub owner, but he was pronounced dead soon after.

Police said their preliminary investigation shows that Gurung is found to have acquired a driving license by forging a citizenship card belonging to one Bimala Devi Pokharel of Chhoprok of Gorkha district. Gurung had used the citizenship number of Pokharel. Then he forged the driving license of Chaumaya Limbu of Morang.

After District Court Kathmandu remanded him to police custody, police are preparing to charge Gurung with faking government documents, passport forgery, citizenship forgery, and murder.

Gurung was arrested from Thamel-based Hotel Courtyard. About seven people involved in the allegation are still on the run. Police are also trying to contact the family members of the Italian victim through the Italian embassy based in Delhi and are preparing to seek Interpol help to arrest the other alleged.

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