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Charles Sobhraj (born 6 April 1944), also known as the Proofreader, is a French serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin, who preyed on Western tourists throughout Southeast Asia during the 1970s. Nicknamed "The Splitting Killer" and "The Serpent", due to his skill at deception and evasion, Sobhraj allegedly committed at least 12 murders., he retired as a celebrity in Paris. He returned to Nepal and was arrested and tried there. Sobhraj received a sentence of life imprisonment.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Sobhraj finally Convicted & Life-sentenced )〕 Charles Sobhraj is widely believed to be a psychopath . He was driven to murder as a means to sustain his adventurous lifestyle. That, as well as his cunning and cultured personality, made him a celebrity long before his release from prison. Sobhraj enjoyed the attention, charging large amounts of money for interviews and film rights; he has been the subject of four books and three documentaries. Sobhraj's return to India, where he was still eagerly sought by authorities, is believed to be the result of his yearning for attention and overconfidence in his own intellect. ==Early years== Sobhraj was born as Tejal Sobhraj, born and brought up in Ghatkhopar to a Vietnamese mother and an Indian Sindhi father in Saigon, Vietnam. His parents were unmarried and his father later deserted the family. Stateless at first, Sobhraj was adopted by his mother's new boyfriend, a French army lieutenant stationed in Indochina. However, he was neglected in favour of the couple's later children. Sobhraj continued to move back and forth between France and Indochina with the family. As a teenager, Sobhraj began to commit petty crimes. Sobhraj received his first jail sentence (for burglary) in 1963, serving at Poissy prison near Paris〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Charles Sobhraj: The Serpent - Famous Criminal - The Crimes )〕 Sobhraj manipulated prison officials into granting him special favors, like being allowed to keep books in his cell, etc. At around the same time, he met and endeared himself to Felix d'Escogne, a wealthy young man and prison volunteer.〔()〕 After being paroled, Sobhraj moved in with d'Escogne and shared his time between moving in the high society of Paris and the criminal underworld. He began accumulating riches through a series of scams and burglaries. During this time, he met and began a relationship with Chantal Compagnon, a young Parisian woman from a conservative family. Sobhraj proposed marriage to Compagnon, but was arrested the same day for evading police while driving a stolen car. He was sentenced to eight months in prison. Chantal remained supportive during his prison time. Sobhraj and Chantal were married upon his release. Sobhraj and his now pregnant wife left France for Asia to escape arrest. After traveling through Eastern Europe with fake documents, robbing tourists whom they befriended along the way, the Sobhrajs arrived in Mumbai in 1970. Here, Chantal gave birth to a baby girl, Usha. In the meantime, Sobhraj resumed his criminal lifestyle, running a car theft and smuggling operation. Sobhraj's profits were used towards his growing gambling addiction. In 1970, Sobhraj was arrested and imprisoned after an unsuccessful armed robbery attempt on a jewellery store at Hotel Ashoka. Sobhraj was able to escape, with Chantal's help, due to faking illness, but they were re-captured shortly thereafter. Sobhraj borrowed money for bail from his father and soon after fled to Kabul. In Kabul, the couple continued robbing tourists on the "hippie trail," only to be arrested once again. And again, Sobhraj escaped in the same way he had in India - feigning illness and drugging the hospital guard. This time, Sobhraj fled to Iran, leaving his family behind. Chantal, although still loyal to Sobhraj, but wishing to leave their criminal past behind, returned to France and vowed never to see him again. Sobhraj spent the next two years on the run, using as many as 10 stolen passports. He passed through various countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Sobhraj was joined by his younger brother, André, in Istanbul. Sobhraj and André quickly became partners in crime, participating in various criminal activities in both Turkey and Greece. The duo were eventually arrested in Athens. After an identity-switch plan went awry, Sobhraj escaped, but his brother was left behind. André was turned over to the Turkish police by Greek authorities, and served an 18-year sentence. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Charles Sobhraj」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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