Charles Sobhraj (born Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj, 6 April 1944) is a French serial killer, fraudster, and thief of Indian-Vietnamese descent, 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 also 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.
