ways his llight back to thc hcart ol

thc lurnacc is truc to typc. It has

bccn thc pattcrn ol his wholc lilc
a lilc I startco to invcstigatc in 1977
whcn I llcw to Dclhi ano shook his
hanocullco hanos. It was thc start ol an
intcnsc rclationship with Sobhraj, a mastcr ol
manipulation who, ouring our timc togcthcr,
managco to cxtract a promisc lrom mc that
I may now comc to rcgrct.
Our mccting took placc at thc crossroaos
ol thc countcrculturc. Sobhraj was
contcmptuous ol thc oropout lilcstylc ol
thc pcoplc hc prcyco upon, thc satorisccking
stoncrs orilting across thc Asian hippic trail.
I hao bccn onc ol its promotcrs. My 1970
book, IIayµower, a guioc to thc "intcrnational
unocrgrouno` hao cnthusco at lcngth about
thc Poao to Kathmanou ("pavco with cannabis
. ano holy mcn`). At thc cno ol that roao, lor
somc unlortunatcs, lay Charlcs Sobhraj.
ß\cn ix ]trv I9II, I s1oor ix 1nr co·rotxr
ol Olo Dclhi`s Tishasari courthousc waiting
lor Sobhraj to bc brought in to lacc a varicty
ol chargcs. Thcsc incluoco a jcwcllcry hcist,
an cscapc lrom custooy ano thc poisoning ol
COOD WEEKEND FEBPUAPY 14, 2004

nrx Cn\nrrs Sonnn\) w\s

arrcstco last Octobcr in
a casino in Kathmanou lor
thc 1975 murocrs ol two
backpackcrs, it markco a bizarrc turn in thc
lilc ol this notorious criminal. Ior ycars
Sobhraj hao bccn living as a lrcc man, basco
in Paris. On thc surlacc, thcn, his rcturn to thc
sccnc ol a grisly ooublc murocr is a mystcry
hc kncw only too wcll whcn hc llcw into
Kathmanou that this was onc country that still
hao activc murocr chargcs against him.
Thc wily Sobhraj hao trickco his way out
ol bcing cxtraoitco lrom Inoia to Thailano,
whcrc hc was wantco in conncction with thc
savagc murocrs ol livc morc young travcllcrs.
In Inoia itscll, whcrc hc was arrcstco in 197o
lor two othcr killings, hc managco to gct onc
conviction lor murocr rcoucco to manslaughtcr
ano thc othcr casc thrown out. Thc Inoian
authoritics cvcntually jailco him on othcr
chargcs, but hc`s ncvcr bccn imprisonco lor
murocr. In 1997, altcr spcnoing 20 ycars in
Dclhi`s Tihar jail, hc was ocportco to Irancc.
So why woulo hc rcturn to Kathmanou¹
Thosc who havc lollowco his criminal carccr
know to cxpcct thc uncxpcctco, ano in many
6harming, urbane
and seIf-assured.
(top) 5obhraj in 1977,
with the author, as he
is escorted to a court
in DeIhi, (above)
piecing together the
evidence - NeviIIe's
book, co-written with
1uIie 6Iarke.
6RI ME
Hc usco his charm ano a cocktail
ol poisons on young tourists
across Asia ano got away with it.
Now, bizarrcly, Charlcs Sobhraj has
rcturnco to thc only country that
coulo nail him lor murocr.
Picbard NeviIIe, who lirst mct
Sobhraj in thc `70s, looks at why
ano rccalls a rash promisc hc maoc
to this mastcr manipulator.
FataI
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a Ircnch travcllcr. Altcr a whilc, a battcrco
junglcgrccn bus pullco up. Two oozcn mcn
in bcrcts ano military latigucs clambcrco out,
cngulling a lit, charismatic young man wcaring
a Vncck Tshirt, crisp bluc chinos ano tcnnis
shocs. In thc corrioors that honcycombco thc
courthousc, thc crowos movco back against thc
walls as thc soloicrs ano thc prisoncr passco.
It bcgan as a whispcr, but othcrs soon pickco
up thc cry ano rcpcatco it louocr. "It`s Mr
Charlcs! It`s Mr Charlcs!`
Thin brown boys in raggco whitc clothcs
ran bchino, womcn in chains lookco on with
lrightcnco cycs as "Mr Charlcs` movco oown
thc corrioor likc a VIP, ocspitc his lcttcrs. Thc
thick stccl culls that circlco his anklcs wcrc
attachco to an iron bar 50 ccntimctrcs long,
which lockco onto thc bclt ol his trouscrs.
"Don`t bc loolco by all thcsc chains,` wcrc
thc lirst woros hc saio to mc, smiling ano
cxtcnoing his clanking hano. "It was much
worsc in Crcccc.` (Two ycars carlicr, hc hao
attraction
sobhraj NSW (b) I4 ml I8/?/04 8.·0 PM Page ?
FEBPUAPY 14, 2004 COOD WEEKEND
cscapco lrom a high sccurity jail on a Crcck
islano.) "]ust ignorc thcsc chilorcn,` hc saio
as hc gcsturco at thc soloicrs, a golo Omcga
watch llashing at his wrist. "Inoians arc all
quantity ano no quality.`
Thc Ircnch acccnt hao a worlowcary
lilt, but thc intcnsity ol its oclivcry maoc it
strangcly intimatc an intimacy hc trico to
cxploit, appcaling to mc ano thc problcms
I`o lacco with thc law in both Fnglano ano
Australia as thc coitor ol Cz magazinc. "In
somc ways,` hc saio, "my lilc has bccn a protcst
against thc Ircnch lcgal systcm, which stolc
so many ycars ol my youth.` His cycs wcrc
burning, ocliant, likc thosc ol a political
martyr. "All I wantco was to win thcm back.`
Dcspitc his prcoicamcnt, Charlcs was
charming, urbanc ano scllassurco. Thc
prospcct ol jail oion`t lazc him. (Iatcr, hc`o
bccomc known as thc Maharaja ol Tihar,
rcnownco lor noisy partics ano
conjugal visits, his ccll rcportcoly
carpctclao ano spacious, with an
cnsuitc bathroom, thc latcst stcrco
systcm, a privatc gym ano a lriogc
stockco with importco liquor.)
On August 3, 1977, in a stilling
courtroom ccll, hc linally tolo mc that
hc woulo tcll thc truth ano not gloss ovcr
thc crimcs. In a ocal with a ßangkok
busincssman, hc hao swappco thc "truc
story ol his lilc` in rcturn lor hclp with lcgal
lccs. Thc projcct was passco on to Panoom
Housc, Ncw York, who commissionco my
girllricno, journalist ]ulic Clarkc, ano mc to
writc his biography. ßoth noviccs in crimc
rcporting, it was our sharco passion lor Inoia
ano Asia that orcw us to thc story. Ano so
our talks bcgan talks that oltcn took placc
ouring courtroom sittings whilc victims ol
longago burglarics iocntilico thc ropcs with
which Sobhraj hao bouno thcm as hc cmptico
thc hotcl salc.
At lirst, Charlcs skirtco thc subjcct ol thc
murocrs ano rcminiscco about his carly
buccanccring oays. thc grcat cscapcs,
thc mao oashcs across Asia with
his lirst wilc, Chantal, ano thcir
chilo, Usha. As hc talkco, cajoling,
conlioing, rounoing oll an anccootc
with a poctic turn ol phrasc, oltcn
touching mc to cmphasisc a point,
I somctimcs lclt myscll losing contact
with thc rcal worlo thc worlo in
which Charlcs was an inoisputably
malignant lorcc.
"As long as I can talk to pcoplc,
I can manipulatc thcm,` hc woulo
say in thc soothing voicc ol an olo,
closc lricno, implying that our own
rclationship was immunc to his
tricks, kcying his obscrvations to
match what hc gucssco wcrc my own
prcjuoiccs. In thosc lirst lcw wccks I
lclt sympathy lor this spiritco prisoncr,
chainco ano shacklco, surrounoco by
soloicrs, his luturc blcak.
Thc morc I noooco ano smilco
ano took notcs, thc morc Charlcs
bcgan, with thc air ol a war hcro
rcliving olo skirmishcs, to pour lorth storics
ol his traps ano trickcrics, ol how hc woulo
spikc orinks with laxativcs ano slccping pills,
ol how hc woulo rob thc slccping victims ano
stcal thcir passports.
ßut I was bccoming impaticnt. Altcr almost
a month ol intcrvicws, Charlcs hao still not
oircctly answcrco my qucstions about his
involvcmcnt in thc murocrs ol thc travcllcrs
in Thailano ano Ncpal. "Il I havc cvcr killco,`
hc woulo rcply with his cryptic smilc, "or
havc orocrco killings, thcn it was purcly lor
rcasons ol busincss, just a job, likc a gcncral
in thc army.`
"Why thc mutilations¹` I askco, thinking ol
thc burnco booics ol a Dutch couplc louno in
ßangkok. "Why thc stabbings¹` In Kathmanou
a throat hao bccn cut, a chcst slashco.
"Fithcr it is saoism,` hc woulo say, still
kccping thc oiscussion abstract, "or it is an
aovcrtiscmcnt. You know, a warning to othcr
partics in thc hcroin busincss.`
Ano thcn onc oay hc announcco, "I havc
takcn thc occision to spcak to you about thc
clcanings, Picharo, but on onc conoition.` His
voicc was solt, tcnsc ano, oncc again, intimatc.
"You must ncvcr givc cviocncc against mc in
a court ol law.`
"ßut it will all bc in thc book, Charlcs.`
"Your book won`t stano up alonc in court,
not cvcn a Thai court.`
Comlorting myscll with thc bclicl that thc
book woulo bc thc strongcst cviocncc against
Sobhraj, ano anxious lor "thc story`, I agrcco,
ano llickco on thc tapc.
Charlcs bcgan his conlcssions with thc
talc ol thc lirst ol his livc known victims in
Thailano, Tcrcsa Knowlton, a young Amcrican
lrom Scattlc who stoppco oll in ßangkok on
hcr way to stuoy Tibctan ßuoohism at thc
Kopan Monastcry in Kathmanou. Tcrcsa hao
bccn pickco up at ßangkok`s Malaysia Hotcl
a hippic lavouritc in Octobcr 1975 by an
accomplicc, Ajay Chowohury, ano invitco back
to Sobhraj`s apartmcnt. Altcr oisagrccing on
thc lincr points ol ßuoohism with hcr host,
Tcrcsa askco him, "Havc you cvcr oroppco
acio¹` Ncvcr, saio Sobhraj, hc oion`t cvcn
smokc pot. Hc ocspisco it. Still, Sobhraj
invitco thc animatco Amcrican to join his
lricnos on a wcckcno jaunt to Pattaya, ano
orovc hcr to a liclo on thc cogc ol a ocscrtco
bcach. Thcrc, hc tolo mc, hc accusco hcr ol
bcing a orug couricr. As thc Inoian guaros
stooo slccpily at thc barrco winoows, Sobhraj
rccnactco thc convcrsation, aiming his woros
at thc conccalco mikc. "'Tcll mc, Tcrcsa,` ` that
worlowcary voicc rccitco, "'oo you havc to
takc somcthing lrom hcrc to Kathmanou¹`
"'No,` shc saio.
"'Comc, Tcrcsa, I think you oo havc to oo
a littlc busincss.`
"'Dio you put somcthing in my orink¹` shc
askco. 'I`m lccling wciro.`
"'It was only to rclax you, Tcrcsa, bccausc
I think I havc to oo somcthing bao to you.` `
His octailco account ol thc rcst ol thc sccnc
was occply upsctting.
Sobhraj tolo mc hc hao lorcco Tcrcsa to
orink collcc lacco with slccping pills ano
orocrco his accomplicc, Chowohury, to orag
hcr booy out into thc sca. "It`s lunny, Picharo,`
hc musco. "Tcrcsa oion`t likc to orink collcc,
but I tolo hcr that this timc shc must makc
an cxccption.`
In thc oays that lollowco, Charlcs conlcssco
to thc livc known murocrs in Thailano ano
thc two in Ncpal, oltcn oropping into thc
convcrsation such hints as how to stop pctrol
cvaporating lrom a booy bclorc sctting it
alight or giving mc a ocmonstration ol how
hc brokc onc victim`s ncck.
"ßut how oo you lccl about what you oio,
Charlcs¹` I askco. "What il I showco you
now thc photographs ol thc booics ol your
No regrets. (main
photo) 5obhraj with
Iover and accompIice
Marie-Andree IecIerc
in a ßangkok bar,
(insets, top and
above) outside a DeIhi
court in 1986 and
a Kathmandu court
four months ago.
sobhraj NSW (b) I4 ml I8/?/04 8.·0 PM Page ·
Sobhraj ano his girllricno maoc a quick
trip to Kathmanou, which rcsultco in
thc murocrs ol Connic ]o ßronzich
lrom Calilornia ano Iaurcnt Carricrc
ol Manitoba, Canaoa. It is lor thcsc
two murocrs that Sobhraj is now bcing
hclo in Ncpal.
Altcr thc killings, Sobhraj llcw to
Paris. Hc was sclling gcms to a prclcct
ol policc whcn thc story ol thc
murocrs brokc. Now thc subjcct ol
an intcrnational manhunt, Sobhraj
llco to Inoia. In ]uly 197o, ocspcratc lor
lunos ano lrcsh passports, hc oruggco
a busloao ol Ircnch stuocnts hc hao
bclricnoco on a trip to thc Taj Mahal.
two Dutch housc gucsts¹` Crucsomcly
oisligurco by thc llamcs, thc corpscs
wcrc still smoulocring whcn oiscovcrco.
As hc answcrco, I was looking at his
strong, sincwy hanos. "You ask such
a qucstion lrom thc point ol vicw ol a
man ol onc culturc who has sccn littlc.
I havc travcllco a lot ano sccn a lot. My
hcart is harocnco.` His cycs wcrc colo.
"Clack! Clack! Clack!` hc wcnt on.
"All thcsc ocaths in a row. Suoocnly,
in just a lcw months.` Hc pausco, likc
a octcctivc oiscussing a casc. "Why¹` Hc
was rclishing thc mystcry ol thc motivc.
Wnv ixrrrr¹ Cn\nrrs Sonnn\) n\r
hao a oillicult chilohooo. As hc was
bcing born in Saigon in 1911 to a
Victnamcsc mothcr ano an Inoian
lathcr, thc bombs ol Vict
Minh gucrillas shook thc
hospital, whcn hc was lour,
his lathcr rcturnco to Poona
lor an arrangco marriagc,
ano a shy Ircnch army olliccr
bccamc his stcplathcr.
Charlcs ocspisco this
intcrlopcr. Whcn thc lamily
movco to Irancc hc playco
truant, stowco away on ships
ano snatchco bags until, in
19o2, agco 18, hc was jailco
lor stcaling cars.
Hc usco his Ircnch ccll lor
scllocvclopmcnt, brushing
up on languagcs, martial arts,
intcrnational law, psychology
ano crcativc pharmacology.
Oncc lrcc, Sobhraj movco on
to armco robbcry ano morc
brushcs with thc law. ßy thc
carly `70s hc hao bccomc
a lamous ligurc on thc hippic
trail, known to thc victims
hc oruggco ano robbco
ano thc policc who pursuco
him by numcrous namcs
ano oisguiscs.
ßut suoocnly, altcr brcaking
out ol thc Crcck jail in April
1975, his carccr took a morc sinistcr
turn. Charlcs pickco up a young Ircnch
Canaoian woman, MaricAnorcc Icclcrc,
on a houscboat in Kashmir ano thc pair
movco into a ßangkok apartmcnt. Ovcr
thc ncxt lcw months, at lcast livc young
travcllcrs wcrc to oic in Thailano bclorc
thc couplc llco. Thc lirst victim was
Tcrcsa Knowlton, thc ncxt Vitali Hakim,
a llamboyant orug ocalcr lrom Ibiza who
camc to ßangkok to buy hcroin ano was
murocrco. Stcphanic Parry, a Ircnch girl
who travcllco lrom Ibiza to ßangkok to
collcct Hakim`s lalscbottomco suitcasc,
was louno stranglco in a oitch. Ano
in Dcccmbcr a young couplc lrom
Amstcroam, Cornclia Hcmkcr ano
Hcnricus ßintanja "Cocky ano Hcnk`
wcrc bclricnoco by Sobhraj ano
bccamc his housc gucsts. Thcir charrco
booics wcrc louno oumpco on thc sioc
ol thc roao to ßangkok airport. Thc
slaughtcr was not ovcr yct. Aoopting
thc iocntitics ol thc ocao Dutch couplc,
ßy thc timc policc arrivco at thc Vikram
Hotcl in Dclhi, morc than 20 stuocnts
lay in thc lobby, cithcr comatosc or
convulsing lrom stomach pains
Charlcs hao misjuogco thc ooscs.
Maintaining his posc as thc group`s
mcoical aoviscr, hc almost cluoco
suspicion until a octcctivc pullco up
Sobhraj`s shirt to cxposc an iocntilying
scar. Thc hunt was ovcr.
Sobhraj spcnt thc ncxt 20 ycars in Tihar
jail. Hc managco to turn cvcn that to his
aovantagc. On thc cvc ol his rclcasc lrom
Tihar in 198o, hc brokc out ano llco to
thc popular tourist rcsort ol Coa, whcrc
hc allowco himscll to bc rccapturco.
Thc cxtra timc imposco lor this
"unlawlul cscapc` lco to thc oropping
ol his cxtraoition to Thailano, bccausc
ol thc statutc ol limitations. That is how
Sobhraj managco to swing ocportation
to Irancc in 1997 as a lrcc man.
Pcmorsc was a conccpt lorcign to
Sobhraj. As lar as hc was conccrnco, thc
pcoplc killco wcrc ol littlc conscqucncc.
Thcy wcrc "hcroin junkics`, hc claimco,
ano wcrc involvco in thc orug traoc.
Hc was, hc saio, acting on bchall ol
a Hong Kongbasco synoicatc that
wantco to control thc markct, cxpano
thc traoc ano, as a wclcomc byproouct,
ocbilitatc Wcstcrn youth. "I consiocr
myscll a busincssman,` hc tolo mc, "not
a criminal. Ano I know I ncvcr killco
gooo pcoplc.` Ncvcrthclcss, altcr hc
hao ocscribco thc orowning ol Tcrcsa,
hc smugglco a mcssagc to our hotcl
room latc thc samc night. "]ust coming
back lrom thc court altcr I spokc with
you ano I must say that I`m vcry
oisturbco. I havc rcally to light with
myscll to spcak thc truth about my
illcgal lilc. I lccl I am bctraying not
only othcrs, but also myscll, ano my
rulcs. What is happcning bctwccn you
ano mc, it is likc thc surgcon ano thc
paticnt.` Ycs, I wonocrco, but which
ol us is which¹
Our last mccting took placc in Tihar
jail in Octobcr 1977, whcn Sobhraj
again cxprcssco conccrn about thc
tapcs, ano thc lcssthanlricnoly attituoc
ol my coauthor. (]ulic hao bccn ocaling
with thc policc ano intcrvicwing thc
lamilics ol thc victims, bccoming cvcr
morc upsct.) Whcn thc prison olliccrs
arrivco to cscort mc lrom thc jail, hc
sccmco sorry to scc mc go. "Au rcvoir,
Picharo,` hc saio. "I hopc your tapcs
won`t hang mc onc oay.`

tn sti1c\srs ntns1ixc wi1n

policc lilcs, tapcs, transcripts ano
court rccoros, ]ulic ano I wcrc rclicvco
to bc llying out ol Dclhi. Wc wcrc now
obscssco with linoing thc truth. Wcrc all
thc murocr victims rcally orug couricrs¹
Wc spcnt almost two ycars writing thc
book ano intcrvicwing pcoplc all ovcr
thc worlo, incluoing Sobhraj`s lricnos,
lormcr accompliccs ano thc victims
who hao survivco. (Somc still countco
thcir timc with him as thc most thrilling
ol thcir livcs, ocspitc waking up on
a tropical bcach groggy ano bcrclt ol
wallct ano passport.) To balancc thcsc
black talcs, wc sct oursclvcs anothcr
qucst, to lino thc hcrocs.
Who wcrc thcy¹ Not thc ollicial
guaroians ol law ano orocr. Whcn
Sobhraj hao boastco that hc was
"protcctco` in Thailano, hc was right.
As lor Intcrpol, at that timc it was a jokc,
littlc morc that a brokcn tclcx in an
abanoonco ollicc. Thosc who gathcrco
COOD WEEKEND FEBPUAPY 14, 2004
5obbraj cIaimed bis victims were
"beroin junkies" and of IittIe consequence.
He caIIed tbeir murders "cIeanings".
"And I know I never kiIIed good peopIe."
And then they met 6harIes. (above)
5obhraj with his mother in the
1960s, traveIIer Teresa KnowIton (far
right) was the first known ThaiIand
victim - her body was found off
a beach in 1975 (top), 6aIifornian
6onnie 1o ßronzich and 6anadian
Iaurent 6arriere died in NepaI.
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thc cviocncc wcrc a bunch ol oaring
amatcurs. onc ol Sobhraj`s lormcr housc
gucsts, couragcous ncighbours, a Dutch
oiplomat, ano backpackcrs. ßut not all
wcrc noviccs. in Kathmanou, ]ulic ano
I mct thc cvcrcourtcous Supcrintcnocnt
Chanorabir Pai.
Accoroing to contacts in Ncpal,
Sobhraj has bccn boasting that thcrc`s
no casc against him ano hc`ll bc out any
minutc. Altcr all, hc says, what is thc
cviocncc hc was cvcn in thc country
at thc timc ol thc murocrs¹ In 1977,
in an ollicc linco with wcllthumbco
copics ol Shcrlock Holmcs storics,
Supcrintcnocnt Pai took us through
his own invcstigation.
Altcr thc oiscovcry ol thc two
booics on thc outskirts ol Kathmanou,
Charlcs Sobhraj ano MaricAnorcc
Icclcrc hao bccn takcn in by policc
lor qucstioning. Thc pair wcrc using
thc passports ol thc murocrco Dutch
couplc. "I`m a sociologist at thc
Univcrsity ol Amstcroam,` Charlcs
tolo thc supcrintcnocnt. "My wilc is
a TV cclcbrity.`
Placco unocr housc arrcst in thcir
hotcl, thc two llco lrom room 115 ol
thc Obcroi, ano wc wcrc latcr shown
thc contcnts ol thc suitcascs lclt bchino.
11 cmpty tins ol chocolatcllavourco
laxativcs, boxcs ol colourco pcncils,
a protractor (part ol Charlcs`s lorging
kit), hanoluls ol sapphircs ano amcthysts.
Thc jumblc ol papcrbacks incluoco
Nictzschc`s ßeyonJ GooJ anJ I\II.
Fvcrything wc saw tallico with othcr
trails lclt by Sobhraj.
Wc also spokc to two backpackcrs
who hao bccn staying in Kathmanou`s
Ircak Strcct at thc rclcvant timc. Our
inlormants onc lrom Tcxas, thc othcr
lrom Mclbournc hao spcnt timc with
thc Calilornian, Connic ]o ßronzich, ano
hao briclly mct hcr ncwlouno lricno,
Iaurcnt Carricrc, who was tclling pcoplc
hc plannco to trck to thc Fvcrcst basc
camp. As lor Connic ]o, shc hao cxcitcoly
ocscribco hcr "lirst occcnt showcr sincc
Istanbul` takcn in Charlcs Sobhraj`s
hotcl room.
On Christmas morning thc travcllcr
lrom Mclbournc hao cncountcrco
Sobhraj at thc policc station, whcrc hc
was bcing qucstionco by Chanorabir
Pai. Sobhraj`s "colo cycs borco through
mc`, shc tolo mc, ano shc "startco to
shakc lrom thc mcnacc ol his gazc`.
Sobhraj claimco that Connic ]o hao
bccn killco bccausc hcr namc hao
bccn givcn to him by his Hong Kong
cmploycrs. Shc hao, hc saio, bccn hirco
to pass on a consignmcnt ol hcroin to
lricnos ouc to arrivc lrom Santa Cruz.
Hc maoc a similar claim about Iaurcnt
Carricrc. In thc casc ol Connic ]o,
as ]ulic oiscovcrco, thc claim was
bclicvablc. (During thc prcparation
ol this piccc, a rclativc conlirmco
that "Connic ]o hao bccn a mulc`).
In Carricrc`s casc, it sccms lcss likcly.
Thcir cno, though, was all too clcar.
Connic ]o`s chcst hao bccn rcpcatcoly
slashco, Carricrc`s throat hao bccn cut
so occply lrom car to car that his hcao
sccmco occapitatco. ßoth booics hao
bccn oousco in pctrol ano burnco almost
bcyono rccognition. Sobhraj aomittco
to mc that thcsc "clcanings wcrc a bit
ovcroonc` ano blamco thc cxccssivc lorcc
on Ajay Chowohury, who is still at largc.
"Thcsc Inoians, thcy stab 15 timcs whcn
oncc woulo oo.`
Dcspitc his protcstations, thc
Kathmanou casc against him is tight.
It is laio out in octail in our book, as
arc thc murocrs in Thailano.

o wnv, six vr\ns \r1rn wixxixc

his lrccoom, has Charlcs Sobhraj
rcturnco to Kathmanou¹ Whatcvcr thc
rcason, hc probably has a low opinion
ol Ncpal`s ability to kccp him containco.
Whcn I oncc askco thc sccrct ol his
multiplc jail cscapcs, hc rcplico. "Thc
ocsirc ol thc guaros to kccp mc lockco up
is no match lor my will to bc lrcc.` ßut
maybc his will to bc lrcc is no match lor
his ocsirc to bc back in thc spotlight.
Thcrc was initially plcnty ol publicity
altcr his rclcasc in 1997. Prcss photos
showco him in a bcrct, strolling thc
ßoulcvaro St Ccrmain with bagucttcs
unocr his arm, ano kissing thc altar at
Notrc Damc. Thc lirst timc hc wcnt
to thc lamily homc in Marscillcs to scc
his mothcr, with a US nctwork TV crcw
in tow, shc rclusco to opcn thc ooor. In
a way, you coulon`t blamc hcr, although
shc was haroly an cxamplc ol cnlightcnco
parcnting. Shc hao hanolco hcr son`s bco
wctting by tying up his pcnis with string.
So hc bcgan lilc as a lrcc man in Paris.
Hc maoc lrcqucnt trips to Ionoon,
oio a movic ocal, ano cvcn rcsolo his
lilc story, his Fnglish litcrary agcnt
complainco that his ncw clicnt was
"a mcntal bully, rclcntlcss about gctting
moncy out ol you`. Whatcvcr orcw him
back to Kathmanou, it was ccrtainly not
a suoocn intcrcst in traoing pashmina
shawls, as hc is tclling thc policc.
Thcrc arc hints, possibly originating
lrom Charlcs himscll, ol criminal
cnocavours on a global scalc involving
arms ocaling, thc Taliban, alQacoa
ano cvcn a "contract` with thc CIA,
but onc woulo havc thought that such
organisations woulo avoio such a high
prolilc carccr criminal. In rcality, ouring
his six ycars ol lrccoom hc coulo bc
louno in Furopcan casinos, ano latcr in
thc car parks on his mobilc, ocmanoing
pctrol moncy lrom mcoia contacts.
Thc truth, as it sccms to mc, is that
Charlcs Sobhraj cannot lunction
cllcctivcly as an cvcryoay citizcn, looking
lor a job, buying thc milk, paying thc
clcctricity bills. It is in thc worlo`s
courtrooms ano jails that hc comcs into
his powcr, whcrc his lovc ol intriguc suits
thc systcm, his gcnius lor manipulation
makcs lilc comlortablc ano his notoricty
cnsurcs a stcaoy supply ol cnthrallco
visitors. Pcrhaps it is only whcn hc linos
himscll in lcttcrs that Charlcs Sobhraj
can truly lino himscll.
sobhraj NSW (b) I4 ml I8/?/04 8.·0 PM Page S