They called him the Serpent because of the number of jails he had broken out of - eight different jails across different countries. They called him the Bikini Killer because the number of his victims found floating in swimming pools, brutally murdered, wearing nothing but a bikini. He was Charles Sobhraj, Killer, gangster, smuggler, jewel thief, criminal, a wanted man across continents. 

But he was also the smoothest operator, suave, charming, utterly irresistible, with women falling all over him - even though most of the women connected with him generally came to a gruesome and bloody end. And yet the line of women just never stopped! Even while he was locked up in prison there are reports of how women would line up for conjugal visits, ready to put up with the filthy conditions of jail, just to be able to say that they had slept with Charles Sobhraj.

This is my favourite story from the bizarre life of Charles Sobhraj, his unbelievable Bollywood style escape from Tihar Jail in Delhi. A jail that was being managed at the time by Policewoman Kiran Bedi.

Follow me on Instagram @seemaanandstorytelling 

Script by Yasser Usman @yasser.usman 

Music by Merlin D’Souza @musicbymerlin

Supported by ECDP @essexcdp

Supported by Active Essex @active_essex

Artwork by @rsdcreative