Charles Sobhraj

Charles Sobhraj
Statue depicting Sobhraj at the O'Coqueiro Restaurant, Porvorim, India
Born
Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj

(1944-04-06) 6 April 1944 (age 80)
Saigon, French Indochina
(now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
NationalityFrench[1][2]
Other names
  • Bikini Killer
  • Splitting Killer
  • The Serpent
Criminal statusGuilty, Released in December 2022 due to old age
Spouses
Chantal Compagnon
​
(m. 1969)​
Nihita Biswas
​
(m. 2008)​
[3]
Children1
Conviction(s)Murder (2004 and 2014)
Criminal penalty
  • 12 years (c. 1975)
  • 10 years (c. 1987)
  • Life imprisonment (2004)
  • 1 year (2010)
  • 20 years (2014)
Details
Victims12 confirmed, possibly 30
Span of crimes
1963–1976
CountryThailand, Nepal, India, Malaysia, France, Afghanistan, Turkey, Greece
Date apprehended
2003

Charles Sobhraj (born Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj, 6 April 1944) is a serial killer, fraudster, and thief who preyed on Western tourists travelling on the hippie trail of South Asia during the 1970s. He was known as the Bikini Killer because of the attire of several of his victims, as well as the Splitting Killer and the Serpent for "his snake-like ability to avoid detection by authorities".[4]

It is thought that Sobhraj murdered at least 20 tourists in South and Southeast Asia, including 14 in Thailand.[5] He was convicted and jailed in India from 1976 to 1997. After his release he returned to France.[6] Sobhraj went to Nepal in 2003, where he was arrested, tried, and given a life sentence.[7] On 21 December 2022, the Supreme Court of Nepal ordered his release from prison because of his old age, after he had served 19 years of his prison term.[8][9] On 23 December, he was released and deported to France.[10]

Described as "handsome, charming and utterly without scruple",[11] he used his looks and cunning to advance his criminal career and obtain celebrity status; he is known to have enjoyed his infamy. Sobhraj has been the subject of four biographies, three documentaries, a Bollywood film titled Main Aur Charles, and the 2021 eight-part BBC/Netflix drama series The Serpent.

  1. ^ "International Serial Killer Charles Sobhraj, 64, Engaged to Woman, 20". Fox News. 5 July 2008. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  2. ^ Gribben, Mark. "Charles Sobhraj profile". Crime Library. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Serial Killer Charles Sobhraj's Wife Nihita Biswas On His Plans After Release". NDTV.com.
  4. ^ Ngamkham, Wassayos (16 May 2021). "'Serpent' a huge TV draw". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  5. ^ Ngamkham, Wassayos (16 May 2021). "'Serpent' a huge TV draw". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Sobhraj finally Convicted & Life-sentenced". EkendraOnLine. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Supreme Court orders release of Charles Sobhraj". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  9. ^ Sharma, Gopal (21 December 2022). "Nepal court to release serial killer Charles 'the serpent' Sobhraj". Reuters. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  10. ^ "AFP News Agency". Twitter. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  11. ^ Anthony, Andrew (11 April 2014). "On the trail of the serpent... the fatal charm of Charles Sobhraj". GQ Magazine. Retrieved 4 April 2021.