Charles Sobhraj – the infamous serial killer nicknamed “The Serpent” and “Bikini Killer” – was released from prison in Nepal in December 2022 and deported to France, where he is now living as a free man, though barred from returning to Nepal for 10 years.

Quick Scoop

Who is Charles Sobhraj?

  • Charles Sobhraj is a French national of Indian and Vietnamese origin, long suspected of killing more than 20 Western backpackers across Asia in the 1970s and 1980s, often by drugging and robbing them.
  • He became notorious under the nicknames “The Serpent” and “Bikini Killer” because of his ability to slip away from authorities and the nature of some of the crimes.

Why was he in Nepalese prison?

  • Sobhraj was arrested in Nepal in 2003 and later convicted for the 1975 murder of American tourist Connie Jo Bronzich.
  • In 2014, he received a second life sentence for the 1975 murder of Canadian tourist Laurent Carrière.
  • In Nepal, a life sentence effectively means 20 years; he served 19 years behind bars.

What happened to him recently?

  • On 21 December 2022, Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered his release, citing his advanced age, health issues (including prior heart surgery), and the fact he had served most of his sentence, along with “good behaviour.”
  • He was freed from Kathmandu’s Central Jail, moved through immigration detention, and then put on a flight out of Nepal.
  • On 23 December 2022, he was deported to France via Qatar Airways and arrived in Paris a free man, though he remains banned from re-entering Nepal for at least 10 years.

What is his status now?

  • French authorities have indicated he is not actively wanted for further cases there, so he is effectively at liberty in France, under public scrutiny but without a current prison sentence.
  • In remarks to media during his journey, he denied the “serial killer” label and hinted at plans to sue various parties, including the state of Nepal, over how he was treated and portrayed.
  • Interest in his story surged again with the 2021 BBC/Netflix series “The Serpent,” which dramatized his crimes and contributed to ongoing public and forum discussions about him.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.