Nepal – Stories of serial killers in India have often been overshadowed by those in the United States, but chilling tales of crime and murder have haunted different parts of the country over the years. According to experts, the social and cultural implications of Indian society have influenced the unique patterns and motives of serial killers in the country. These horrifying stories are now being brought to light through the popular Indian Predator series on Netflix.
One of the most notorious Indian serial killers, Charles Sobhraj, gained notoriety for his minimum kill count of 20. His victims were Western tourists traveling along the hippie trail of South Asia during the 1970s, and he was infamously called the Bikini killer because most of his victims were found in bikinis. After decades of evading authorities, Sobhraj was convicted and imprisoned in India until the 90s, and later tried in Nepal. In 2022, he was released and deported to France due to his old age. His crimes are now the subject of an eight-part Netflix series called The Serpent.
Raman Raghav, also known as Sindhi Talwai, terrorized the streets in and around Mumbai during the 1960s and was infamously referred to as the Jack the Ripper of India. His random targeting of victims, resulting in at least 41 murders, made him especially difficult to track down. Raghav was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The Nithari Killers shocked the nation in 2006 with a series of children’s murders, resulting in more than 16 victims. The case remains inconclusive to this day after Moninder Singh Pandher and his servant Surinder Koli, originally accused of the killings, were acquitted by the court. The unsettling nature of the case makes it one of the most shocking instances of Indian serial killings. A documentary called The Karma Killings explores the details of these murders and is available on Netflix.
Jolly Joseph, a female serial killer from Kerala, is known to have murdered six people between 2002 and 2016. Her crimes initially stemmed from a greed for family property, but took a darker turn when she began targeting her own family members. Joseph, infamously known as the Cyanide killer, was eventually caught after suspicions were raised by her husband’s brother. Her chilling story is the subject of a Netflix documentary titled Curry and Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case.
In conclusion, the chilling tales of Indian serial killers have often been overlooked, but the unique patterns and motives of these criminals offer a glimpse into the dark underbelly of Indian society. These stories, now brought to light through various media platforms, serve as a stark reminder of the terrifying reality of serial killings in India.