Charles Gurumukh Sobhraj Hotchand Bhawnani, who was born in France on April 6, 1944, preyed on Western travellers visiting South Asia in the 1970s as part of the hippie trail. He was a thief, con artist, and serial killer. He started committing little crimes when he was young, and in 1963, he was given his first prison sentence for burglary.
He served out his punishment at the adjacent Poissy jail. While he was a prisoner, Sobhraj was able to pay the guards to give him exceptional privileges, like permission to keep books in his cell. He met an affluent young man and jail volunteer Felix d’Escogne about the same time, and they grew close.
Because of “his snake-like talents to avoid identification by authorities” and the attire of some of his victims, he was known as “the Bikini Killer,” “the Splitting Killer,” and “the Serpent.”
In a Parisian neighbourhood, Sobhraj established a comfortable existence after retiring. He requested exorbitant sums in return for interviews and photos. The rights to a film based on his life cost more than $15 million.
Was Charles Sobhraj Indian?
Charles Sobhraj was born to a Vietnamese mother and an Indian father. Consequently, he is part Indian.
What ethnicity is Charles Sobhraj?
Charles Sobhraj has a descent from both India and Vietnam.
