'The Serpent,' the 'Bikini Killer,' and the 'Splitting Killer' — these are just some of the monikers for Charles Sobhraj, a part-Indian, part-Vietnamese serial killer, whose life of crimes is arguably more gripping than any true-crime drama available on OTT platforms.
On Wednesday, 21 December, the Supreme Court of Nepal ordered the 78-year-old’s release and deportation to his home country, France, within 15 days. He was serving jail term in Nepal since 2003 for murdering two North American tourists.
Freed on health grounds, the notorious serial killer is accused of murdering at least 20 tourists in south and southeast Asia in the '70s.
He has been a subject of four biographies, three documentaries, a Hindi feature film Main Aur Charles with actor Randeep Hooda in the lead, and an eight-part BBC/Netflix drama series called The Serpent.
So, how did a boy from France end up on Interpol’s most-wanted list and what is his connection with India?
The 'Bikini Killer' Who Fled Tihar: Charles Sobhraj's India Connection
1. Troubled Childhood
Born as Hatchand Bhaonani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj in 1944 to a Vietnamese mother and an Indian father in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, Sobhraj's parents parted ways when he was a child.
His mother then married a French Army lieutenant, and as a result he spent his early childhood shuttling between Vitenam and France. As per an account by the GQ magazine, Sobhraj was shunted back and forth between his parents when he was nine. “Officially stateless, deposited in a boarding school in France, he hated his adoptive nation. He twice tried to return to Vietnam by stowing away on a ship - once, he got as far as Djibouti before being discovered and sent back to France,” the GQ article said.
Sobhraj's first custodial sentence, on charges of burglary, was at the age of 19 at the Poissy prison near Paris.
Expand2. Entry in The World Of Crime
After he was paroled, Sobhraj spent most of his time moving between Parisian high society and the city's criminal underworld.
In a 2014 interview with the GQ magazine, Sobhraj said that around the same time he met and began a romantic relationship with Chantal Compagnon, a young Parisian woman from a conservative family.
He proposed marriage to Compagnon but was arrested the same day on charges of trying to evade the police while driving a stolen vehicle. He spent eight months in prison and married Compagnon on the day of his release.
Expand3. Sobhraj Comes to India
In 1970, Sobhraj and Compagnon left France for Asia and arrived in Mumbai (then Bombay) where they had a baby girl – Usha. In the meantime, Sobhraj increased his criminal activities.
In 1973, he was arrested and imprisoned after an unsuccessful robbery attempt at Hotel Ashoka. He managed to escape by faking illness and subsequently fled to Kabul. In Kabul, the couple then started robbing tourists on the hippie trail and were arrested again. He managed to escape again and fled to Iran, this time leaving his family behind.
His wife, Compagnon, returned to France and vowed to never see him again.
Sobhraj spent the next two years on the run, travelling through eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Expand4. The Murder Trail
In India, Sobhraj was joined by Ajay Chowdhury, a fellow criminal who became his second-in-command. Together, Sobhraj and Chowdhury, are accused of 20 murders, mostly targeting "hippie" travellers – western tourists backpacking through Asia.
Their first-known victim was Teresa Knowlton, a backpacker who was found dead in a swimming pool in 1975. She was wearing a bikini, just like his many future victims, earning him the moniker – the 'Bikini Killer.'
Most of these victims were poisoned, drowned, strangled, stabbed and burnt alive.
Back in Asia, in 1976, Sobhraj attempted to drug 22 members of a French tour party in New Delhi and was detained at the city's Tihar jail. He was later sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In prison, Sobhraj reportedly led a life of luxury with television and gourmet food, having befriended both guards and prisoners. He frequently gave interviews to authors and journalists.
A decade later, just as his sentence was coming to an end, Sobhraj managed to escape from prison. At this time, a Thai arrest warrant had been issued against him, which meant the death penalty. His escape and subsequent recapture, however, extended his prison sentence in India, avoiding execution in Thailand.
In 1997, a free man, Sobhraj became a media sensation – charging journalists for interviews and selling the story of his crimes.
In 2003, however, he decided to travel to Nepal, where he was arrested for the murder of two American tourists and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Expand5. Pop Culture References
Charles Sobhraj has been the subject of three non-fiction books:
Serpentine by Thomas Thompson
The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobhraj by Richard Neville and Julie Clarke
The Bikini Murders by Noel Barber, a chapter in the Reader's Digest collection, Great Cases of Interpol
The 2015 Hindi feature film Main Aur Charles starring Randeep Hooda, Adil Hussain, and Richa Chaddha and the 2021 eight-part BBC/Netflix drama series, The Serpent, are also based on the criminal life of Sobhraj.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
Expand
Troubled Childhood
Born as Hatchand Bhaonani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj in 1944 to a Vietnamese mother and an Indian father in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, Sobhraj's parents parted ways when he was a child.
His mother then married a French Army lieutenant, and as a result he spent his early childhood shuttling between Vitenam and France. As per an account by the GQ magazine, Sobhraj was shunted back and forth between his parents when he was nine. “Officially stateless, deposited in a boarding school in France, he hated his adoptive nation. He twice tried to return to Vietnam by stowing away on a ship - once, he got as far as Djibouti before being discovered and sent back to France,” the GQ article said.
Sobhraj's first custodial sentence, on charges of burglary, was at the age of 19 at the Poissy prison near Paris.
Entry in The World Of Crime
After he was paroled, Sobhraj spent most of his time moving between Parisian high society and the city's criminal underworld.
In a 2014 interview with the GQ magazine, Sobhraj said that around the same time he met and began a romantic relationship with Chantal Compagnon, a young Parisian woman from a conservative family.
He proposed marriage to Compagnon but was arrested the same day on charges of trying to evade the police while driving a stolen vehicle. He spent eight months in prison and married Compagnon on the day of his release.
Sobhraj Comes to India
In 1970, Sobhraj and Compagnon left France for Asia and arrived in Mumbai (then Bombay) where they had a baby girl – Usha. In the meantime, Sobhraj increased his criminal activities.
In 1973, he was arrested and imprisoned after an unsuccessful robbery attempt at Hotel Ashoka. He managed to escape by faking illness and subsequently fled to Kabul. In Kabul, the couple then started robbing tourists on the hippie trail and were arrested again. He managed to escape again and fled to Iran, this time leaving his family behind.
His wife, Compagnon, returned to France and vowed to never see him again.
Sobhraj spent the next two years on the run, travelling through eastern Europe and the Middle East.
The Murder Trail
In India, Sobhraj was joined by Ajay Chowdhury, a fellow criminal who became his second-in-command. Together, Sobhraj and Chowdhury, are accused of 20 murders, mostly targeting "hippie" travellers – western tourists backpacking through Asia.
Their first-known victim was Teresa Knowlton, a backpacker who was found dead in a swimming pool in 1975. She was wearing a bikini, just like his many future victims, earning him the moniker – the 'Bikini Killer.'
Most of these victims were poisoned, drowned, strangled, stabbed and burnt alive.
Back in Asia, in 1976, Sobhraj attempted to drug 22 members of a French tour party in New Delhi and was detained at the city's Tihar jail. He was later sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In prison, Sobhraj reportedly led a life of luxury with television and gourmet food, having befriended both guards and prisoners. He frequently gave interviews to authors and journalists.
A decade later, just as his sentence was coming to an end, Sobhraj managed to escape from prison. At this time, a Thai arrest warrant had been issued against him, which meant the death penalty. His escape and subsequent recapture, however, extended his prison sentence in India, avoiding execution in Thailand.
In 1997, a free man, Sobhraj became a media sensation – charging journalists for interviews and selling the story of his crimes.
In 2003, however, he decided to travel to Nepal, where he was arrested for the murder of two American tourists and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Pop Culture References
Charles Sobhraj has been the subject of three non-fiction books:
Serpentine by Thomas Thompson
The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobhraj by Richard Neville and Julie Clarke
The Bikini Murders by Noel Barber, a chapter in the Reader's Digest collection, Great Cases of Interpol
The 2015 Hindi feature film Main Aur Charles starring Randeep Hooda, Adil Hussain, and Richa Chaddha and the 2021 eight-part BBC/Netflix drama series, The Serpent, are also based on the criminal life of Sobhraj.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)