‘Five-star food or prison meals’: ‘Bikini Killer’ Charles Sobhraj admirer’s 36-year luxury hotel trail baffles cops | Raipur News

RAIPUR: For nearly three decades, Bingson John allegedly travelled across India posing as a respectable guest, checking into luxury hotels, vanishing without paying bills and staying one step ahead of authorities.When finally caught, the 69-year-old told police the man who inspired his elaborate cons was none other than notorious serial killer and conman Charles Sobhraj.Police claimed that during interrogation, Tamil Nadu native Bingson John admitted modelling his lifestyle on Sobhraj. It included spending decades travelling across India, checking into luxury hotels under fake identities, enjoying lavish hospitality and disappearing before settling the bills.John was arrested from Bhubaneswar within 72 hours after he allegedly checked out of a five-star hotel in Raipur on June 27 without paying a bill of Rs 63,755 and fled with a rented laptop worth Rs 1.48 lakh.According to police, John’s confession revealed a trail of deception spanning more than three decades.He allegedly claimed to have targeted nearly 300 hotels across more than 10 states since 1990, frequently posing as a foreign tour guide, English teacher or yoga instructor to gain the trust of hotel staff.

Idolised ‘Bikini Killer‘ Charles Sobhraj

Charles Sobhraj, often referred to as the “Bikini Killer,” is one of the world’s most notorious serial killers and conmen.Born to an Indian father and a Vietnamese mother, he gained notoriety during the 1970s for targeting backpackers travelling along Asia’s “Hippie Trail.”Investigators linked him to the murders of more than 20 people across countries including Thailand, Nepal and India.He was known for befriending tourists, drugging them, stealing their identities and valuables, and, in several cases, killing his victims. His crimes and ability to repeatedly evade capture earned him international notoriety and inspired books, documentaries and the Netflix series ‘The Serpent’.

A life between five-star hotels and prison cells

Police said John’s criminal journey began after the death of his fiancée in the early 1990s, following which he abandoned plans to marry and turned to fraud.His first arrest came in 1996, when he was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Since then, investigators said, he has spent nearly 15 years in prisons across the country while repeatedly returning to his alleged hotel frauds after release.According to police, John described prison as his “home stay” and luxury hotels as his “tourist destinations,” adding that he preferred eating either in five-star hotels or in jail.

How he was caught

Police said John stayed at the Raipur hotel for two days before asking staff to arrange a laptop, claiming he urgently needed it for office work. Soon after receiving the device, he allegedly walked out without completing checkout formalities.Following the hotel’s complaint, the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit and Telibandha police analysed the identity documents and mobile numbers used during check-in. Technical surveillance led investigators to Bhubaneswar, where he was arrested, and the laptop was recovered.He has been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and remanded to judicial custody.