Feb 1, 2007

How many of you would remember this man? Those of you who have read him long enough would also be surprised to know that Charles Sobhraj, the dreaded criminal who - as per the reports - killed 32 people and escaped from jail five times is behind bars again, this time in Nepal.

Now let me take you down the memory route to explain what happened when he escaped from the Tihar jail, the second time about twenty years ago...

There was news flashed everywhere that the notorious jail breaker has vanished again after distributing sweets to guards and other inmates. What a grand way of escape, my God. Of all the Indian police personnel and other social workers who went around searching for him, I was the one among them. Being a humble citizen I felt it is my birth right to help the police and my government. The announcement of a handsome reward for the ‘genuine informer’ was another thing.

My wife cautioned me not to ‘attempt the impossible’. But I was not the one to give up so easily.

As I was walking along the causeway, I noticed a young bespectacled man in his late 40’s walking ten to fifteen meters behind me. When I further analyzed his physique, I was surprised to realize that it was none other than Charles Sobhraj himself, in flesh and in blood.

I decided not to give up this chance of a lifetime. After all I was also aware that soon I would be decorated with a title for helping to nab an international criminal, the so-called ‘Serpent’.

I slowed down and waited till Sobhraj walked past me. I could see his facial expressions changing and realized that he has already sensed my ‘greater aspirations’ of becoming a ‘star informer’. At once, he gained speed and sped away under the cover of darkness.

When I came home and informed my wife she simply remarked:

“I can see a contra effect here!”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t think that you’re the only one who is determined to hound Charles Sobhraj. The entire nation is searching for him, so also some crazy characters like you with the sole intention of winning the government reward. I am sure the person whom you saw can be one among them”

“But why should he run away from me?”

“That is called the contra effect. Both of you mistook each other for being Charles Sobhraj. Either he ran away for his life or went to a nearby police station to report”.

I did not comment on my wife’s silly joke, instead continued my high profile search.

The next day I saw him at the VT Railway Station. As our eyes met quite suddenly, he went behind a giant pillar. Without wasting a second, I went over to a Railway police guard and told him: “It looks like your promotion is due. Just be alert and pray for the worst situation to turn for our advantage. Charles Sobhraj is somewhere around and we two can bring him unto justice. Please contact your control tower immediately”

But the Police guard was not interested at all. “Who is Charles Sobhraj?” he asked me quite sternly. “We have no instructions to look out for any Sobhraj. Let’s see when we receive the instructions”.
“But by then, I am sure Sobhraj would have crossed the Pacific Ocean”

“Hell with your Sobhraj” yelled the Police guard. “Don’t interfere in my state of affairs. You don’t know my tension. My wife has instructed me to fetch whole lot of grocery on my way back home. I got to go.”

As he walked away hurriedly pushing me aside, I cursed the police department and the government machinery for their innocence and ignorance. 

Later that evening after dinner, when I was to retire to my bed, my wife informed me of a gentleman and his female companion who have come to stay in our neighborhood. I could hear the strange sound coming from the adjacent flat. Just then Nagesh Karmali from All India Radio, Panaji station to came on line to caution about Charles Sobhraj who might be hiding in our vicinity along with his mistress.

Around mid night there were knocks at our door and I instructed my wife not to open at all, come what may. 

The next day morning I met in the lift, two tiny kids who told me quite right from their heart: “Uncle, we have come to stay in the flat next to yours. Last night there was no water or electricity in our flat so we rang your bell for a glass of water. Why did you not
open the door? We spent the whole night without water and in shit darkness”
A sense of guilt and Charles Sobhraj’ face passed through my spine.

And finally one day I found out Charles Sobhraj in an Irani restaurant near Church gate railway Station, reading a newspaper. I went closer to him and said exactly how Sanjeev Kumar delivered his dialogue while arresting Gabbar Khan, “Your game is over, Mr. Charles Sobhraj. Now on, no power on earth can save you from my hands”

The gentleman did not react at all. He just handed over the newspaper and pointed to the front page which read in bold letters:

“Charles Sobhraj is being arrested in Goa by the same Inspector, Madhulkar Zende, the second time”

The young man was smiling at me while I was hesitant to look at his face.

“Don’t worry, sir,” he said. “I am equally disturbed for being deprived of a handsome reward by the government”
When I returned home disappointed and knocked at the door, my wife refused to open.
I prayed, begged and at last cried to let me in.

When finally she opened the door after much wrangle, her face was lit large with fear, shock and terror.

“What’s wrong with you today” I screamed at her.

“I am sorry darling,” she said. “It was not intentional at all. I was bloody terrified to see you through the peep-hole”

“Why?”

“You looked exactly like Charles Sobhraj”

Hemacharya2001@yahoo.co.uk