Sobhraj's heart surgery a success: Doctors

Serial killer Charles Sobhraj on Monday underwent successful heart surgery at a Kathmandu hospital, a doctor who operated on him said.

A team of doctors, led by Dr Raamesh Koirala, conducted open heart surgery on the French serial killer at the Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre here.

Sobhraj was said to be involved in the killings of over 20 persons in Nepal, India, and other Asian countries by poisoning and robberies committed on backpackers.

Dr Koirala, after performing the surgery on his infamous patient, posted a picture on Twitter and said: "Yes! He has a heart and I just fixed valves inside. Recovering normally."

Sobhraj, 73, who earned the moniker of 'Bikini Killer' for his criminal exploits, had suffered a mild heart attack in May at the Central Jail in Kathmandu, where he has been confined for the last 12 years.

After an initial check-up, Sobhraj was referred to the Kathmandu hospital, where doctors advised heart surgery to fix his mitral valve leak.

Sobhraj was also called 'Serpant' for his escapes or attempts to escape from jails he was lodged in at different times.

Nihita Biswas, a Nepali young woman who fell in love with Sobhraj and later married him, visited him at the hospital on Sunday and even donated blood for him. Their blood group matches and is 'O negative', a hospital source said.

Her mother Shakuntala Thapa, a lawyer, accompanied Nihita to the hospital. She had fought Sobhraj's case in a Nepali court.

Sobhraj and Nihita had married around eight years ago in a Kathmandu jail as per Hindu religious rituals.

The Nepal Supreme Court had sentenced Sobhraj to life in prison for murdering American tourist Connie Joe Bronzich in 1975 in the Himalayan nation. He was also linked to killings of several backpackers.

--IANS

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