Sobhraj gets life sentence

Sobhraj, a French national, said he was innocent and would appeal the verdict. He said he had never visited Nepal before 2003. 8216;8216;I am shocked by the verdict because it was a trial without any witness,8217;8217; he said, adding: 8216;8216;I have been declared guilty without proof.8217;8217;

Until today, he had never been convicted of murder though he has been accused of over 20 killings in India, Thailand, Nepal, Turkey and Iran. He had also spent 20 years in jail in India for drugging and robbing tourists before he was deported to France in 1997.

Sobhraj8217;s lawyer Sanjay Ghimire said he would appeal the verdict at the Appellate Court of Justice.

The government advocate charged him with killing the American tourist and violating the immigration law by travelling on a fake document.