The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a notice to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to attend the hearing of an appeal filed by suspected international serial killer Charles Gurmukh Sobhraj, scheduled for April 9.

In the appeal, Sobhraj has challenged his two-year old conviction eight months ago by the Kathmandu District Court and the Patan Appellate Court’s decision that endorsed his conviction, according to reports.

A division bench of Justices Rajendra Kumar Bhandari and Gauri Dhakal issued the order.

A few months ago Sobhraj appealed against the Kathmandu District Court (KDC) verdict that convicted him on August 28, 2004, and which was upheld by the Patan Appellate Court.

An appeal filed by the government challenging the courts’ clean chit to Sobhraj on a fake passport case was also presented in the hearing along with Sobhraj’s appeal.

Based on circumstantial evidence, the lower courts convicted Sobhraj of murdering American backpacker Connie Jo Bronzich in 1975 at Manahara Khola, Sinamangal, Kathmandu. Now the Supreme Court will interpret whether or not a person can be convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence.