The cop who caught 'Bikini Killer' Charles Sobhraj is happy with his early release. Here's why

A former Nepalese police officer, who caught the notorious French serial killer Charles Sobhraj in 2003, on Thursday said it was the painful childhood memory of the sight of a half-burnt body of a slain American woman in a river here that spurred him to become a detective.

Ganesh KC, then 40, was the Deputy Police Superintendent in 2003 when he nabbed the “Bikini Killer” from a casino in Kathmandu.

Nepal's apex court on Wednesday ordered the release of Sobhraj, 78, a French citizen with Vietnamese and Indian parentage, who has been in jail since 2003 on murder charges.

For Ganesh, it was the painful childhood memory of the sight of the half-burnt body of American tourist Connie Jo Bronzich that encouraged him to become a seasoned and hardened detective.

Bronzich and Canadian friend Laurent Carriere were the two backpackers killed by Sobhraj in 1976.

“I was barely 12 when I saw people rushing near the Manahara river in Kathmandu to get a glimpse of the dead body of Connie Jo Bronzich, the American backpacker who was killed by Sobhraj,” he told PTI.

It was only ironic that 27 years later, Ganesh would be entrusted with the task of hunting down the serial killer.

Also read: Who was Ajay Chowdhury, Charles Sobhraj’s untraceable righthand man?

How Charles Sobhraj was arrested?

Ganesh recounted with glee the chain of events that lead to Sobhraj’s sensational arrest.

“He (Sobhraj) landed in Kathmandu on the pretext of filming a documentary. He was spotted near Royale Casino in Durbarmarg and The Himalayan Times newspaper published his photograph. The photograph got Kathmandu Metropolitan Police to launch a manhunt,” he recollected.

Although there was no concrete evidence to nail Sobhraj in the twin murder case, the police first arrested him on charges of violating the immigration law, then charged him with the murders on the basis of circumstantial evidence, including his signature in the hotel registry, Ganesh said.

“We are proud to have arrested Sobhraj nearly three decades after the murder of the backpackers,” Ganesh said.

“His arrest in Nepal shows the country’s robust criminal judicial system,” he added.

There were two cases registered against him – one in Kathmandu District Court and another in Bhaktapur District Court – for the murder of the two backpackers in two different areas in two days.

Sobhraj has denied killing the backpackers.

His lawyers said the charge against him was based on assumption.

“After we detained him from the casino premises in August 2003, we charged him for violating the immigration law,” Ganesh said.

“After arresting him under immigration violation law, we searched for further evidence and then charged him in the twin murder case,” he explained.

According to Ganesh, Sobhraj killed the two backpackers because they were carrying jewellery.

Years later, Ganesh received an appreciation letter the from parents of the two backpackers following Sobhraj’s arrest.

Also read: The Great Escape: How ‘Bikini Killer’ Charles Sobhraj broke out of Tihar Jail and launched one of the greatest manhunts

Why is the policeman “happy” about Sobhraj’s early release?

Nearly two decades later, Ganesh, now retired from service, says he is happy to see the early release of Sobhraj.

“I am happy to learn about his early release for being a senior citizen. It shows how sensitive we are towards senior citizens and it displays our conviction to human rights,” he noted.

Incidentally, Sobhraj could not be booked for murder in any country prior to his 2003 conviction in Nepal.

He is believed to have killed 15 to 20 people in the 1970s.

Two of his victims were found wearing only bikinis.

He befriended mostly Western tourists in Asia, later drugging and killing them mostly between 1972 and 1976.

Over the years, Sobhraj earned the nickname “Bikini Killer” and “The Serpent” due to his skill at deception and evasion.

Sobhraj through his petition had claimed that he had completed his jail term as per the ‘concessions’ entitled to senior citizens of Nepal.

He claimed that he had already served 17 of the 20 years of his sentence and had already been recommended for release for behaving well.

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