French serial killer, fraudster and thief Charles Sobhraj leaves a Paris court in 1997 with his lawyer Jacques Verges. AFP
French serial killer, fraudster and thief Charles Sobhraj leaves a Paris court in 1997 with his lawyer Jacques Verges. AFP
French serial killer, fraudster and thief Charles Sobhraj leaves a Paris court in 1997 with his lawyer Jacques Verges. AFP
French serial killer, fraudster and thief Charles Sobhraj leaves a Paris court in 1997 with his lawyer Jacques Verges. AFP

Charles Sobhraj: Serial killer known as The Serpent to be extradited to France


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

The serial killer known as The Serpent has been released from prison in Nepal.

Charles Sobhraj, 78, who spent nearly two decades behind bars, is expected to be extradited to his native France later on Friday.

He is suspected of killing more than 20 western backpackers on the "hippie trail" through Asia, usually by drugging their food or drink in the course of robbing them.

Nepal's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered his release from prison, citing his age.

He is expected to fly to France on Friday, his lawyer Gopal Shivakoti Chintan told Reuters.

Wearing a woollen cap and a blue fleece jacket, Sobhraj was escorted to Nepal's immigration department by seven police officers.

Earlier on Friday, he was driven from the Central Jail in Kathmandu in a cavalcade of police cars, according to jail official Ishwari Prasad Pandey.

Sobhraj had been held in a high-security prison in Kathmandu since 2003, when he was arrested on charges of murdering American backpacker Connie Jo Bronzich in 1975.

Dubbed the "bikini killer" in Thailand, and "the serpent", for his evasion of police and use of disguises, his exploits have been the subject of several dramatisations, including a Netflix and BBC joint production released last year.

He married Nihita Biswas, a Nepali citizen 44 years his junior, in 2008.

"I'm happy and have great respect for our judiciary and Supreme court," Sobhraj's mother-in-law Sakuntala Thapa told Reuters partner ANI after news of his release was announced.

Sobhraj denied killing the American woman and his lawyers said the charge against him was based on assumption.

Nihita Biswas, who claims to be the wife of Charles Sobhraj. Reuters
Nihita Biswas, who claims to be the wife of Charles Sobhraj. Reuters

Several years later Sobhraj was also found guilty of killing Bronzich's Canadian friend, Laurent Carriere.

But he was suspected of many more murders, including in Thailand, where police say he allegedly drugged and killed six women in the 1970s, some of whom were found dead on a beach near the resort of Pattaya.

He was jailed in India for poisoning a group of French tourists in the capital, New Delhi, in 1976, before he could stand trial on the charges against him in Thailand.

Sobhraj escaped from Tihar jail in India in 1986 after drugging prison guards with cakes laced with sleeping pills.

Police arrested Sobhraj days later in the Indian beach holiday state of Goa.

"I walked up to their table and said 'you are Charles'", Madhukar Zende, the police officer who caught him in Goa, told The Indian Express newspaper in an interview published on Friday.

A statue of Sobhraj stands at the restaurant in Goa to this day. He was jailed in India until 1997 when he returned to France.

Born to a Vietnamese mother and Indian father, he was described by his associates as a con artist, a seducer, a robber and a murderer.

His true number of victims, spanning decades and several countries, is unknown.

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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?

Some facts about bees:

The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer

The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days

A queen bee lives for 3-5 years

This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony

About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive

Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.

Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen 

Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids

Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments

Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive,  protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts

Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain

Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities

The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes

Is beekeeping dangerous?

As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.

“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”

 

 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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Updated: December 23, 2022, 12:11 PM`