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Bikini killer

Back in 1976, I remember reading about a serial killer in a Sunday newspaper. Somehow, the story got stuck with me. Over the years, I have been periodically coming across this person's escapades (misadventures) in the dailies. I think it felt exciting and got stuck on to most people's grey matter because of the inclusion of the prefix 'bikini'! Now, with Google, every piece of information on this notorious psychopath is just at the tip of everyone's fingertip.

A few years ago, I visited one of the friends I know (not too many friends I have, anyway), whose wife had just delivered a baby boy a few days before that. I almost choked on the cordial drink that he cordially offered to me when he said, “We named him Sabhraj. What do you think?” I answered, “Fine! Nice name.” not wanting to be a wet blanket. I was just chuckled to myself and hoped that he never found out that he named his son after a serial killer! (A little bit too late to change as the child’s name had already been registered with the National Registration Department). Now, you know why I do not have many friends!

For the sane people who have no clue or fetish interest in serial killers and their fixations, here is a little introduction to this literally high flying bourgeois lady killer who moves amongst the high society. 

Hatchand Bhaonani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj was born on April 6, 1944, to an unwed Vietnamese mother and a Sindhi (Indian) father who absconded. His mother befriended a French Lieutenant, and Charles became a Frenchman. He grew up in Paris, being involved in petty crimes and imprisoned many times. He escaped incarceration from France with a fake passport and a pregnant Parisian maiden to Bombay. His curriculum vitae expanded to gambling, smuggling and heist. He dodged imprisonment in India by faking illness and landed in Afghanistan with another fake passport. He was caught here for robbing tourists but got away by drugging hospital guards. And his adventure brought him to Iran and many Eastern European countries with many stolen passports. His spate of murders started in Thailand to sustain his lavish lifestyle and his clan of followers. He is sometimes known as 'The Serpent'.His trusted lieutenant, Ajay Chowdhury, was also sent to Malaysia on a gem-stealing mission.

After being arrested a couple of times and escaping police custody, he was sentenced to 20 years jail sentence by a Nepalese court on 31st July 2010. He is a celebrity of sorts - TV shows and books have been penned on his antics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sobhraj
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/sep/22sld1.htm
If you want to read the whole book on the life and times of Charles Sobhraj, look no further... (Be warned that it is 382 pages long!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/94694/Life-And-Crimes-Of-Charles-Sobhraj
http://blog.ekendraonline.com/1788/sobhraj-finally-convicted-life-sentenced.html
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Location: Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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