Click to play videoNew Delhi: Charles Sobhraj, the mastermind behind a string of crimes in Asia in the 1970s, on Wednesday failed to get a verdict from Nepal's Supreme Court on the charge of murdering an American backpacker in Kathmandu more than 30 years ago.
A two-member bench of the Supreme Court ruled that the status quo will be maintained in the murder case and ordered reopening of another fake passport case against him. Sobhraj, a 63-year-old French national, is accused by police in a number of Asian countries of killing more than 20 Western travelers.
“All right I have a past of crimes etc right. I did wrong which I regret and very deeply but I cannot take away that thing. You came out. You may say publicity media books etc and I would have been a stupid fellow if I didn't take advantage of it anyway right,” says Sobhraj.
Sobhraj always knew that his crime would sell. Sobhraj's first brush with crime was at the age of 16. He spent some time in a prison in France before landing in Mumbai in 1970.
From then he was constantly on the run, not just in the subcontinent but even to countries like Greece, Malaysia and Switzerland.
From a smuggler of weapons and drugs to conning unsuspecting tourists, his capacity for crime was matched by his ability to escape from any prison in the world.
“He use to intimidate the jail authorities by saying that if his demands were not met then he will file complaint against that jail official before the court,” says Law officer, Tihar Jail, Sunil Kumar Gupta.
Sobhraj drew attention even behind bars. In 1986 he signed a 15 million dollar deal with David Hall, a British filmmaker, for the story of his dramatic escape from jail.
“He had assured them I will escape from jail and you wait and see how nicely I escape and I will sell you the whole episode,” says Charles Sobhraj's lawyer, VK Ohri.
And true to his word, Sobhraj drugged the guards and escaped again. It took the police three weeks to arrest him.
On his release in 1997, the government deported him to France. But six years later, he made a surprise return to Nepal, only to be arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of two tourists in 1975.
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