# Goanetters-2004 meet in Goa. Dec 21, Tuesday. 12 noon to 2 pm. # # Clube Vasco, Near Municipal Garden, Panjim. Pass the word around! # ##########################################################################
Serial killer Charles Sobhraj was back in the news recently in Goa, with the O Coqueiro (after its ownership changed hands) putting up a figure to remind customers of the incident where Sobhraj was arrested many years back.
While scanning through the Wikipedia, I came across an intriguing aspect: Wikipedia suggests Sobhraj's escape from Tihar jail was nothing but a means to get an extended jail sentence in India (so he didn't have to extradited to Thailand, where he faced imminent execution.
See the entry below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sobhraj
Sobhraj's systematic bribery of prison guards at Tihar reached
outrageous levels. He led a life of leisure and luxury inside the
jail, with TV, cell phones and gourmet food, having befriended
both the guards and the prisonners. Revelling in his notoriety,
he gave interviews to Western authors and journalists such as OZ
magazine's Richard Neville in the late 1970s, and Alan Dawson in
1984. He freely talked about his murders while never actually
admitting to them, and pretended that his actions were in
retaliation against Western imperialism in Asia, an excuse which
most criminologists find highly doubtful. He also needed to find a way to prolong his sentence, since the
20-year Thai arrest warrant against him would still be valid on
his intended release date, leading to his deportation and almost
certain execution. So in March 1986, on his tenth year inside, he
threw a big party for his prisonner and guard friends and, having
drugged them with sleeping pills, walked out of the jail. Sobhraj was quickly caught in Goa and had his prison term
prolonged by 10 years, just as he had hoped. On February 17,
1997, 52-year old Sobhraj was released, with most warrants,
evidence and even witnesses against him long lost. Without any
country to deport him too, Indian authorities let him
return to France.So, if his jail-break could have been faked, wouldn't that imply that the same was the case with his much highlighted "re-arrest" in Goa?
Anyone has any inputs on this? FN
PS: Thanks to all who pointed to useful links about the Sea Harriers story. Only with the Net, does the big picture and significance of it all become more than apparent...
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Frederick Noronha (FN) Nr Convent Saligao 403511 GoaIndia
Freelance Journalist P: 832-2409490 M: 9822122436
