Picture this: a man so cunning he could sell the London Bridge, escape the world’s toughest jails, and convince women to marry him while behind bars. A man nicknamed “The Bikini Killer” for his chilling crimes and “The Serpent” for his slippery escapes. That’s Charles Sobhraj—a name that sends shivers down spines yet fascinates millions. Today, we’re peeling back the layers of this dangerous mastermind’s life, from his jaw-dropping scams to his infamous jailbreaks. But first, a disclaimer: if you’ve got a weak heart, this story might not be for you. Buckle up, because this is one wild ride!

Welcome to the Dark World of Charles Sobhraj

Hello, folks! Welcome to this thrilling tale—think of it as a rollercoaster through the mind of a criminal genius. Charles Sobhraj wasn’t just a crook; he was a legend in the underworld, a man who lived a life so outrageous it’s hard to believe it’s real. Born on April 6, 1944, he’s now 80 years old. Out of those 80 years, he spent 30-35 years free and 40-45 locked up. And trust me, those free years? They were packed with chaos.

In the 1970s alone, Sobhraj was linked to around 30 registered murders—though the unregistered ones? Who knows how high that number climbs. This guy was smart—scary smart. His influence was so strong that even while in jail, women begged courts for permission to marry him and live with him behind bars. Can you imagine the charisma it takes to pull that off? Let’s unpack how this man became a global enigma.

The Early Days: A Childhood of Crime

Charles Sobhraj’s story starts with a messy beginning. His mother was Vietnamese, his father Indian. After his birth, his dad abandoned them and remarried in India, leaving Charles and his mom to fend for themselves. She later married a French army officer, and they moved to France, where Charles gained French citizenship. A half-brother came along, but his stepfather wasn’t kind. He saw Charles as baggage from a past marriage, often beating him and treating him like an outsider.

At just six years old, Charles started stealing. With no money from home, he snatched books from a classmate’s bag and sold them. When he got caught, the teacher thrashed him—but that didn’t stop him. Instead, it sharpened him. He figured out that stealing ten books from one bag was too risky. Why not take one book from ten bags? No one would notice! Even as a kid, his brain wasn’t wired for school—it was built for scheming. Over months, he stole tiffins, pencils, notebooks—anything he could sell. When complaints piled up, the teacher got suspicious. One day, during lunch, she caught him red-handed, beat him senseless, and suspended him. That was just the beginning.

By age ten, Charles committed his first murder. Seeing a neighbor play happily with his little daughter sparked jealousy—something dark clicked inside him. One day, while the girl slept, he picked her up and threw her into a nearby well. Someone saw him, and he was sent to a juvenile home. That early taste of violence? It stuck with him. The judge later said he needed a psychiatrist, not just jail. Charles once bragged, “Give me five minutes with anyone, and I’ll make them my friend.” Handsome, intelligent, and slippery as a snake—that’s why they called him “The Serpent.”

The 1970s: A Criminal Empire Takes Shape

Fast forward to 1970—Charles arrived in India, landing in Mumbai. His first gig? Stealing luxury cars and smuggling them to Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Soon, he branched into drugs and weapons, building a network across borders. In 1973, he hatched a bold plan at Delhi’s Ashoka Hotel, a five-star spot with high-end jewelry shops. He sweet-talked a dancer into helping him. She called the shop, asking for expensive jewels to be brought to their room. When the staff arrived, Charles grabbed the loot and bolted. The police had a tip, though, and nabbed him—only for him to slip away en route, vanishing to Kabul. When Afghan police closed in, he slithered off to Thailand. That’s the Serpent for you—always one step ahead, faster than a snake.

His scams got wilder. In 1975, he pulled off something unbelievable—he “sold” the London Bridge! Posing as a Deputy Director General sent by the government, he claimed the bridge was faulty and needed to be demolished. He gathered 37 scrap metal dealers, spinning a tale about a tender for the wreckage. With fake photos of himself alongside queens and presidents, he oozed confidence. The dealers, dazzled, paid him bribes to secure the deal—37 of them, all duped! On tender day, they showed up eager, only to find Charles gone—fled to Nepal with their cash. The UK blacklisted him, but the damage was done. His charm was a weapon, and he wielded it like a pro.

Why “Bikini Killer”? The Gruesome Truth

So why “Bikini Killer”? Most of his victims—especially women—were found in swimsuits or underwear. This wasn’t random; it was his twisted signature. Take Kathmandu, 1975. Charles stayed in a hotel next to a Canadian tourist couple. He’d eavesdrop, timing his exits to “bump into” them. Within a day, the woman fell for him—hard. He convinced her she deserved better than her boyfriend, urging her to meet him at a nearby hill with her passport and valuables. As she packed, her boyfriend caught her, locked her in the room, and confronted Charles. A fight broke out. Enraged, Charles slashed the man’s face with a knife, burned his hands and mouth, and buried him. Back at the hotel, he told the woman her boyfriend had ditched her, took her to dinner, spiked her drink, and killed her on the same hill—setting her body ablaze. Using the man’s passport with his own photo slapped on, he fled to Bangkok. That’s the Bikini Killer’s chilling MO.

In Bangkok, his house was a horror show—a real-life haunted mansion. He’d lure foreign tourists with promises of help, drug them, and kill them. One Dutch couple came for dinner; he spiked their food to upset their stomachs, then “nursed” them with more poisoned water. When they passed out, he tied them naked to chairs, burned their faces and hands to erase fingerprints, smeared bread and sugar on them, and let rats and insects finish the job. Seven days later, the stench tipped off police. They found the woman’s dress—tag intact—leading them to Charles 45 days later. An international warrant followed, but he was already gone.

The Tihar Jail Escape: A Masterstroke

Charles landed in Delhi’s Tihar Jail from 1976 to 1996, but even bars couldn’t hold him. In 1986, he pulled off his most famous escape. First, he won over inmates and guards, building a loyal crew. He dressed sharp, splashed on cologne, and charmed reporters during interviews. With fellow crook David Richard, he hatched a plan. Charles formed a “committee” to cook for special occasions, taking charge of the kitchen. On March 16, 1986, he claimed it was his birthday (it wasn’t—his real one’s in April). Everyone bought it—his image was that good.

He and David got hold of Larpose, a sleeping drug. Charles tested it on a cat first, watching it pass out and wake up, timing the dose perfectly. On a Sunday during Holi—when staff was thin—he baked kilos of laddoos laced with the drug. He handed them out to guards, even tossing 50 rupees each their way, saying, “It’s my birthday!” Five to seven minutes later, every guard, gatekeeper—everyone—was out cold. Charles grabbed the keys, snapped photos with the jailer’s guns for kicks, and strolled out with David and six others. A month later, he was caught in Goa—by the same cop who’d nabbed him before. But here’s the twist: getting caught was part of the plan. Why? His 10-year Indian sentence was ending in 1986, and Thailand wanted him for a death penalty case. Thailand’s law said if a crime wasn’t prosecuted within 20 years, it expired. By escaping and getting re-arrested, he stretched his Indian stay, dodging extradition. Genius, right?

The Serpent’s Charm: Love Behind Bars

Charles’s charisma was unreal. In Tihar, women flocked to him. Some wanted to marry him and live in jail! In Nepal (2003-2022), he wed Nihita Biswas, the 20-year-old daughter of his lawyer, while he was 64. They met in court, married in jail, but it fizzled out—she later wed someone else. In 2017, during his heart surgery in Nepal, 45 women worldwide offered blood. Bangkok jailers, French inmates’ wives, translators—all fell for him. His allure was magnetic, even in chains.

A Life of Escapes and Scams

Charles escaped jails like it was a hobby. Mumbai: claimed appendix pain, went to the hospital, and slipped out a bathroom window. Afghanistan (1972): drugged guards. Greece (1975) and Goa (1976): same tricks. In Hong Kong (1970), he posed as a magical stone dealer, scamming a jeweler with fake diamonds after charming his French wife. He dealt in antique items, crocodile skins, luxury watches, rare eggs—anything to con people. Some laws—like wildlife and narcotic acts—were even made because of him!

The Final Act: Nepal and Beyond

In 2003, Charles left France’s luxury life for Nepal, casually gambling in casinos. A journalist recognized him, snapped a photo, and ran it in the papers. Caught for that 1975 Canadian couple’s murder, he got 20 years. He denied it in court, saying he wasn’t there—despite using a fake passport. Nepal’s rules—75% sentence served or over 72 years old—freed him in 2022 after 17 years. Back in France, he sold his story for movies (like Netflix’s The Serpent), books, and interviews—raking in millions.

Why Did He Do It?

Charles saw killing as a soldier sees war—no regrets. In his book, he wrote, “Does a soldier regret shooting an enemy? It’s their duty, their right. Don’t I deserve the same?” A psycho with a philosopher’s mind, he read heavy books in jail. Rumors say he recorded secrets of Tihar officers, using them to run the place. Once, India’s Home Minister Giani Zail Singh met him in Tihar after his influence sparked a parliamentary uproar.

The Legacy of a Serpent

Eight books, four biographies, three documentaries, a Bollywood film, and The Serpent series—Charles’s life is a goldmine of dark tales. So, what do you think? Was he a monster, a genius, or both? Drop your thoughts below! Want more wild biographies? Tell us who’s next! Like, comment, and follow us on YouTube, Spotify—hit that bell so you don’t miss a thing. Thanks for diving into this crazy story with us!