If you're here, you're probably watching The Serpent and noticed in episode 8 that Charles Sobhraj also murdered a young Israeli named Eitan Meir in India.
Eitan Meir is probably not a real name, like 99% of the names in the series, which were changed. What we can say for certain is that the despicable Charles did murder a young Israeli student named Avoni Jacob in India in 1975, stole his passport and identity, and flew to many countries under Avoni Jacob's name.
Hotchand Bhaonani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj (French: Hotchand Bhaonani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj; born 6 April 1944) is a serial killer who operated mainly in the 70s of the 20th century in East Asia (Thailand, India and Nepal).
His Life
Sobhraj would pose as a precious gem dealer to lure young Westerners to his apartment. There, with help from his Canadian accomplice, who had knowledge of pharmacy, and a local criminal, he drugged them and made them ill. After murdering his victims, he would set their bodies on fire and assume their identities by forging their passports, making it difficult for investigators to track him down.
In 1975, he murdered Israeli student Avoni Jacob in India and stole his passport, which he used to fly to various countries.
After an extensive Interpol manhunt, Sobhraj was caught in India and sentenced to 12 years in prison. His accomplice, Marie-Andrée Leclerc, who was arrested with him, was sentenced to 8 years for her role in the crimes (she died of cancer in 1984). After 10 years in an Indian prison, Sobhraj escaped by drugging the guards with sweets containing a sedative. He was eventually recaptured and sentenced to another 10 years for the escape. The Indian government refused to extradite him to Thailand until he had served his full sentence. As a result, Sobhraj was never tried for his crimes in Thailand, as the statute of limitations had expired by the time he was released.