Charles Sobhraj: A profile

Born in Born on April 6, 1944, in Vietnam to an Indian father and a Vietnamese mother, Sobhraj later took French citizenship and is believed to be responsible for the deaths of nearly a dozen western tourists in Thailand, Nepal and India, writes Utpal Parashar.

Updated on: Jul 30, 2010, 18:00:27 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Born in Born on April 6, 1944, in Vietnam to an Indian father and a Vietnamese mother, Sobhraj later took French citizenship and is believed to be responsible for the deaths of nearly a dozen western tourists in Thailand, Nepal and India.

In July 1976, he was arrested in New Delhi while trying to rob a group of French students by drugging them. He was also charged with the murder of a French national in Mumbai.

He served a 21-year jail term in India from 1976 to 1997 and even escaped once from Delhi’s Tihar Jail in 1986 by drugging jail officials. Following his release he was deported to France.

Charles Sobhraj was first called the “Bikini Killer” after the swimsuit one of his victims was wearing when she was discovered. He then earned the nickname “the Serpent” for his numerous escapes from jail.

His mother later had another child and married a soldier in the French Army who initially rejected Sobhraj.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.