French serial killer Charles Sobhraj to be released from jail, orders Nepal's Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Nepal on Wednesday ordered the release of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj. 

A Frenchman of Indian and Vietnamese parentage, Sobhraj has been serving a life term in the Kathmandu jail since 2003. In Nepal, life-term means 20 years in jail. 

Today, Nepal's top court ordered that Sobhraj, if he doesn't have to serve jail term in other cases, be sent to his country (France) within the next 15 days, Nepal Live Today reported. 

In 2004, Sobhraj was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of American citizen Connie Jo Bronzich and Canadian citizen Laurent Carrière in December 1975. 

Ten years later in 2014, Sobhraj was again convicted of killing a Canadian citizen Laurent.

Sobhraj is linked to many cold-blood murders including 15-20 tourists in Thailand. He spent 21 years in jail in India with a brief 22-day break in 1986 when he escaped Tihar Jail after drugging security guards.

Two of his victims were found wearing only bikinis, which also earned him the name the 'Bikini Killer'. Sobhraj befriended mostly Western tourists in Asia. He drugged and killed them mostly between 1972 and 1976.

The court said Shobhraj, 75, has been receiving treatment for heart-related ailment and he has served 75 percent of a total sentence (19 years).

Earlier, Sobhraj had fainted in a special cell of the Central Jail of Kathmandu. After the initial check-up, he was referred to a hospital where doctors suggested surgery for the mitral valve leakage. There, he underwent open heart surgery. 

(With inputs from PTI)