Who is 'bikini killer' Charles Sobhraj, being freed today
French national Charles Sobhraj, who police claimed was responsible for a series of murders during the 1970s and 1980s, is set to be released from prison in Nepal on Thursday, the Himalayan nation's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday. The 78-year-old had applied for early release on health grounds, and the French embassy had also approached the Nepal government for the same.
Why does this story matter?
Charles Sobhraj has already completed 19 years in jail for the murders of a Canadian and an American tourist. In Nepal, life sentences are 20 years. The 78-year-old admitted murdering at least 20 young Western tourists across Asia by drugging their drink and food, but his conviction in 2004 in Nepal was the first time he was sentenced guilty in court.
Fled from Indian prison in 1980
Widely known as "The Serpent" due to his ability to disguise himself and take the identities of others to evade justice, Sobhraj managed to flee from an Indian prison in the mid-1980s. However, he was later detained and imprisoned in Delhi's maximum-security Tihar jail until 1997. The 78-year-old is also called the "bikini killer" because many of his victims were found in bikinis.
Sobhraj targeted 'hippie' tourists
As Sobhraj traveled across the globe, he started targeting "hippie" tourists, the Western travelers backpacking through Asia. He has been charged with nearly 20 murders, though his reasons have never been transparent. On numerous occasions, Sobhraj swiped the passports of his victims and used their identities. He was arrested several times in different nations but always managed to flee or bribe his way out.
Sobhraj's charming, sophisticated character
Law enforcement officers and journalists who interacted with Sobhraj often found him charming and sophisticated, characteristics that assisted him in evading punishment, recruiting accomplices, and committing his crimes.
Sobhraj arrested in India
In July 1976, Sobhraj and three of his female accomplices convinced some French students in New Delhi to hire them as their tour guides. As per reports, they then gave those tourists poison pills and murdered them. However, a few of the students were able to call the cops, and Sobhraj and his associates were charged, tried, and sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Sobhraj arrested in Nepal
Upon his release from India, the 78-year-old flew back to France. In 2003, he came to Nepal and was arrested again. He was officially given a life term in 2004 in Nepal for murdering an American woman named Connie Jo Bronzich in 1975. Later, he was also convicted for the murder of Laurent Carrière, Bronzich's American friend.
Sobhraj became an arms dealer for Taliban
Later in 2014, Sobhraj alleged that he had worked as an arms dealer for the terror outfit Taliban after befriending JeM chief Masood Azhar in Tihar prison. He was even linked with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Sobhraj's release sentence
A bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Sapana Pradhan Malla ordered on Wednesday to release the French serial killer from jail as he needs open heart surgery due to medical reasons. Sobhraj had previously filed an appeal demanding an exemption on his life sentence due to his old age. With the release verdict, the court also ordered his deportation but didn't specify where.
