SUE WHO? Farrukh Dhondy with Dolly Thakore at the launch of his book, Bikini Murders at Crossword

Cynics say the best thing that can happen to a book is for it to become the subject of a controversy. That is what has happened to writer Farrukh Dhondy's recently-launched book, Bikini Murders.

In Bikini Murders, a retired inspector Pradhan nabs notorious serial-killer Thhat who has come to Nepal. Criminal Charles Sobhraj has now threatened to sue Dhondy and publishers HarperCollins for the book, which, he says, is the story of his life.

Sobhraj's threats are hitting the headlines giving Bikini Murders a blaze of publicity. Dhondy dismisses the fact that controversy makes a book more saleable, saying, "I will not sell more books because of this. In fact, somebody, maybe the Ayotollah should put a fatwa on me. Then I would sell more books if only to burn."

Dhondy stated that the book is not about Sobhraj, though there are parallels. "My book is about the mentality of a serial-killer. The book's protagonist  betrays friends and double crosses people. Is Sobhraj saying he does that?"

"There are several books on Sobhraj. Why doesn't he sue those writers?" asks Dhondy, adding that although there are parallels about Sobhraj's life, there are differences too. "And these 'inventions' are the essence of my book," he said. "I have met Sobhraj a couple of times. He had approached me when he wanted to publish his story on Tihar jail. I got him in touch with a literary agent for the same," said Dhondy.