Charles Soubrage: French serial killer “The Serpent” released from Nepalese prison

CNN
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Charles SobhrajThe notorious French serial killer who inspired the award-nominated TV series “The Serpent” has been released from a Nepalese prison on Friday.

Sobhraj is released from prison. He was handed over to the Immigration Department. He will be deported to France soon, earlier today, were told by officials at the Immigration Department,” Eshwari Prasad Pandey, an official at Nepal Central Prison told CNN.

Sobhraj, 78, was He is serving a life sentence in Nepal for killing two tourists in 1975, but many of the alleged murders remain unsolved.

He was released after Nepal’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered his release on the grounds of his age and health. The court said he had a heart condition and needed open-heart surgery.

Local officials said they were arranging for Sobhraj’s immediate deportation, which could happen as early as Friday.

“We are working on collecting all the necessary travel documents for Sobraj’s deportation to France,” Acting Director General of the Nepali Immigration Department Pradarshani Kumari told CNN, adding that “it may happen today (Friday), it may take a few days.”

The court order is to send him home within 15 days. We’re working on migrating it with that time frame in mind. He will remain under the supervision of the Government of Nepal until he is flown. “We are working with the Home Ministry for his safety,” Kumari added.

The official said the department is in close contact with the French Embassy in Kathmandu.

Born in French-administered Saigon, Vietnam, Sobhraj was first imprisoned in Paris in 1963 for burglary but charged with crimes in a list of countries: France, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Thailand and Malaysia.

He also escaped from prison in several countriesHis tendency to elude authorities earned him the nickname “The Snake”.

Eventually, Sobhraj confessed to at least 12 killings between 1972 and 1976, and hinted at others for interviews before recanting the confessions before more court cases, according to his autobiography. The true number of his victims is unknown.

In 2014, a Nepali court convicted Sobraj of the 1975 murder of Canadian tourist Laurent Carrier, and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

The 2021 BBC/Netflix drama ‘Snake’ is based on the story of Sobhraj’s alleged murders. He tells how for years, he dodged the law across Asia as he allegedly drugged, robbed and murdered backpackers along the so-called “hippie trail” – while former Dutch diplomat Hermann Knippenberg worked with the authorities to catch him.