No one but himself knows how many people he really killed
Serial killer Charles Sobhraj released early – Netflix series ‘The Snake’ released
French serial killer Charles Sobhraj after a court hearing in Kathmandu, Nepal (File photo, May 31, 2011)
It is said that he has several lives on his conscience, only he knows how many. And he made himself known to a wider audience thanks to a BBC/Netflix series: Charles Sobhraj, nicknamed “The Serpent”. Now the 78-year-old French serial killer has been released. This was ordered by the highest court in Nepal.
Sobhraj admitted to 12 murders and later retracted the confession
Charles Sobhraj (2nd from left) with his girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc outside a court in New Delhi, India (file photo, February 1977)
picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS, Uncredited
The killer is expected to leave prison in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, later this week after 19 years in prison, the head of the prison has said. Authorities say he has a heart condition and will need open-heart surgery.
Sobhraj’s life story served as the basis for the British television series The Serpent and inspired many books. He admitted to at least 12 murders between 1972 and 1976 and implied to have committed others. He later retracted the confession in court. His true number of victims is unknown.
Charles Sobhraj has 15 days to leave Nepal
Sobhraj (left) before an operation with heart surgeon Dr Raamesh Koirala in Kathmandu (Archifoto, June 2017)
photo alliance/ANN, Courtesy Dr Raamesh Koirala
Because the criminal has always eluded the authorities by clever maneuvers, he has been called “snake”. He managed to escape from prisons in several countries. He was suspected of numerous crimes in France, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Thailand and Malaysia.
The French would have killed several vacationers in different Asian countries. In Nepal, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of two tourists. Now the court has ordered his release a year before the official end of his sentence due to his age, good behavior and failing health. He should have left Nepal within 15 days of his release.
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The 2021 Netflix/BBC drama The Serpent tells the story of Sobhraj
Scene from the Netflix/BBC series “The Serpent”: Jenna Coleman as Marie-Andree Leclerc and Tahar Rahim as Charles Sobhraj
picture alliance/Everett Collection, ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
The 2021 Netflix BBC drama The Serpent is based on the story of the alleged murders of Sobhraj.
He recounts how he broke the law across Asia for years, drugging, robbing and murdering backpackers along the so-called “Hippie Trail”. (apd/uvo)
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