What Happened To The Women In Charles Sobhraj’s Orbit
Refinery29
12 hrs ago
The Serpent begins with a disclaimer that the true crime drama, which is based on the life and crimes of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, is only inspired by true events. Some of the names and circumstances have been changed both for dramatic purposes — they’re trying to make some captivating television, you understand — but also out of respect for Sobhraj’s very real victims and their families.
In real life, Sobhraj was accused of more than 20 murders throughout India, Thailand, Nepal, Turkey, and Iran in the 1970s — but was never convicted of murder until 2004, reported the BBC at the time. Nicknamed “The Serpent,” Sobhraj was known to prey on young, usually Western travelers (and particularly women) who making their way along the “Hippie Trail” of the 1970s, or the overland route between Europe and South Asia that became popular for young backpackers in the 1960s and ’70s.