Charles Sobhraj, often referred to as the “Bikini Killer” or “The Serpent,” is one of the most infamous serial killers in history
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. Born on April 6, 1944, in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam, Sobhraj’s early life was marked by abandonment and hardship
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. His father left him and his Vietnamese mother, who later remarried a Frenchman
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. As a mixed-race child, Sobhraj faced discrimination and bullying, which set the stage for his tumultuous life
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Sobhraj’s criminal activities began in his teenage years, and he soon found himself in and out of juvenile detention and prisons in France
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. His criminal career took a more sinister turn in the 1970s when he targeted Western tourists traveling the “Hippie Trail” through South Asia
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. Fluent in several languages and armed with a stash of forged passports, Sobhraj used his charm and cunning to gain the trust of unsuspecting travelers
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. He would often spike their food or drinks with poison, rendering them vulnerable to robbery or, in some cases, murder
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One of Sobhraj’s most notorious crimes involved the murder of Teresa Knowlton, a 21-year-old American tourist whose body was found floating in a bikini in Pattaya, Thailand
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. This gruesome discovery led to Sobhraj being dubbed the “Bikini Killer.” His modus operandi involved befriending tourists, drugging them, and then robbing or killing them
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. His accomplices, including his second wife Marie-Andrée Leclerc and his partner Ajay Chowdhury, helped him carry out these heinous acts
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Sobhraj’s criminal activities eventually caught up with him, and he was arrested in India in 1976
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. He was sentenced to life imprisonment but managed to escape from Tihar Jail in 1986 in a dramatic fashion, drugging the prison guards and making his getaway
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. Despite his numerous escapes and continued criminal activities, Sobhraj was eventually captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in Nepal in 2003
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In December 2022, at the age of 78, Sobhraj was released from prison in Nepal due to his old age and health conditions
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. He was deported to France, where he currently resides
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. His life has been the subject of several books, documentaries, and even a Netflix series titled “The Serpent,” which dramatizes his crimes and escapes
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Sobhraj’s story is a chilling reminder of the depths of human depravity and the importance of vigilance when traveling abroad. His ability to manipulate and charm his victims, coupled with his cunning escape tactics, has cemented his place in criminal history as one of the most dangerous and elusive criminals of all time.
For more information, you can watch the documentary on his life and crimes on YouTube: The Serpent: The True Story of Charles Sobhraj.
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en.wikipedia.org
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CNN-News18
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The Indian Express
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www.aljazeera.com
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