The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer: When Was Charles Sobhraj Released From Prison?

A new documentary titled The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer will air on Channel 4 soon. Directed by David Howard, this three-part project will contain psychological and criminal interrogations of the dreaded serial killer, Charles Sobhraj.

Charles Sobraj had spent 20 years in prison in Nepal and was released on 23 December 2022. Authorities had convicted him of two murders, but in 1977, he confessed to killing 10 individuals. He earned the nickname “Serpent” for his ability to easily seduce his victims and trick the judicial system. However, Sobhraj suddenly retracted his confession later on. It is believed that he may have killed more than 10 people and was never punished for his crimes.

Although Charles Shobraj claims he did not kill anybody, this documentary will play a vital role in discovering the truth of his brutal history. Here, the serial killer is shown being interviewed for hours by forensic psychologist Paul Britton. The main subject of this interrogation is the five infamous murders in Thailand in 1975. The documentary will also follow former Metropolitan Police detectives Jackie Malton and Gary Copson re-examine the case.

According to a Channel 4 press release, the synopsis of The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer reads, “Sobhraj has been convicted of two killings but admitted to ten murders in 1977, only to later withdraw the confessions. He is suspected of many more murders, but has never been tried for the majority of them. Leaving the families of the victims with no closure or accountability.”

Where was Charles Sobhraj imprisoned?

On orders of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Sobhraj was released from Kathmandu Central Jail on December 2022. The powers that be allowed this because of the serial killer’s advanced age, who was already in his 70s.

As per the reports of Al Jazeera, he has spent more than 40 years in different prisons. He was behind bars in Athens, Tehran, and India. During the 1970s, Sobhraj operated on the “hippie trail.” At first, he would befriend his victims and win their trust. After that, he would neutralize, rob and kill them.

The upcoming documentary’s production company, Monster Films, released a statement about the project in a press release. The statement said, “We first made contact with Charles Sobhraj in 2016 when he was in prison in Nepal. 8 years in the making, this series provides an unparalleled insight into the life and crimes of the man the world knows as The Serpent.”

The Commissioning Editor and Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4, Shaminder Nahal stated, “In the 70s, thousands of young people flocked to Asia to have adventures and learn about the world. Some of them ended up dead because of Charles Sobhraj. He targeted backpackers – drugging, robbing and in some instances, killing them. Today he is a free man, never having stood trial for many of the murders he is linked to.”

Charles Sobhraj was born on 6 April 1944 in Saigon to an Indian Sindhi father and a Vietnamese mother.