Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Charles Sobhraj — who is serving a life sentence for murder, in Central Jail, Kathmandu — has not lost relevance with the media even after four decades. Recently he was in the news not for his criminal record but for his love affair with a local 20-year-old girl, Nihita. She visits him in jail regularly. His appeal, at the Supreme Court, is to be heard on August 10. Hoping he will be acquitted, they plan to marry thereafter, and have exchanged wedding rings. This brings back memories of when I was working as deputy superintendent at Tihar Jail, where Charles was confined and placed in my charge in an individual ward.
I have seen him in different modes of life inside jail: fighting his legal battle in the local courts, dealing with journalists and lawyers, and working on his book Serpentine — which turned out to be a bestseller — and always charming his female visitors. He had a fair number of them, some even from overseas, who would come confessing eternal love. Some of them wanted to marry him and even applied to the courts for permission. Such was his persona. I used to call him “cupid’s guy” and “fish of troubled waters”. Women played an important part in his life. His mother disowned him, his wife Chantal deserted him. Later he became known as “Bikini Killer”.
Yet his charisma was not dented. He could write beautiful love letters. A sample: “I am listening to Mozart and feel this deep powerful music invading me, my mind and heart; you too have invaded, overpowered me, mind and soul. I love you so much that when we are together I just can’t stop myself from touching and caressing your hands and face. I love you and love you…”
Did the presence of women provide him security? When he was brought to Tihar Jail, his co-accused were three young women of foreign origin. He is a man with a mission, and publicity helps him.
