The Supreme Court of Nepal recently ordered the release from prison of Charles Sobhraj, the serial killer who inspired the TV series “Snake,” according to CNN.
The court made the decision based on the man’s age and health, according to court spokesman Bimal Paudel.
Sobhraj, 78, was serving a life sentence in a prison in Bhaktapur, a suburb of Kathmandu, for killing two tourists in 1975. However, many of his alleged crimes remain unsolved.
Over 12 murders in four years
A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court ordered the government to release him immediately and deport him to “his country” within 15 days, the spokesman added.
Born in French-administered Saigon, Vietnam, Sobhraj was first jailed in Paris in 1963 for robbery, but has also been accused of crimes in France, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Thailand and Malaysia. His talent for evading the authorities earned him the nickname “The Snake”.
Sobhraj eventually admitted to at least 12 murders between 1972 and 1976 and hinted at others to investigators before recanting the confessions ahead of further trials, according to his biographers. The actual number of victims is not known.
“Snake”, a series based on the story of the alleged crimes committed by Sobhraj
In 2014, a Nepalese court convicted Sobhraj of the 1975 murder of Canadian tourist Laurent Carrière, handing down a 20-year sentence.
The 2021 BBC/Netflix drama The Snake is based on the story of Sobhraj’s alleged crimes. The film shows how for years he evaded police throughout Asia while allegedly drugging, robbing and killing hikers along the so-called “hippie trail”. An important role in the film is occupied by former Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg who collaborated with the local authorities to capture Sobhraj.