Mumbai: To stop Sobhraj from fleeing, a cop had to sit on him, recalls retired ACP

Retired cop Madhukar Zende who arrested Sobhraj twice (right) Nepal police will deport Charles Sobhraj to his country. File pic

Charles Sobhraj was sharper than any ordinary criminal and always used to carry a weapon, recalled retired police officer Madhukar Zende. The 84-year-old assistant commissioner of police had arrested the serial killer twice while serving in the Mumbai Crime Branch. Sobhraj, also known as the ‘Bikini Killer', will be released from prison in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, after serving over 19 years of his sentence.

Zende first arrested Charles in 1971, during his posting at Gamdevi police station. "I got information from one of my informants that a foreign national was planning to rob the Air India building, which was then located in Fort. I went there and found that he was armed with weapons and had stored bullets in a chocolate box. He had a foolproof plan to rob the Air India building. I managed to arrest him after which the Delhi cops came to Mumbai and took his custody in a robbery case filed there," he told mid-day.

Soon after, Charles escaped from the clutches of the Delhi police and remained absconding until 1976. In 1975, Zende again received information that Charles was at the Taj Hotel with his girlfriend and had robbed a French couple. He realised that this was Sobhraj's modus operandi, and alerted his informant and the hotel staff.

Also Read: Nepal court orders release of serial killer Charles Sobhraj

"A hotel employee called me when he returned again. But Sobhraj was spooked and when the police team reached the Taj Hotel, he was loading his luggage in a taxi to flee. The moment he noticed the cops, he ran into a crowd, leaving his girlfriend behind. She was arrested, while he disappeared," Zende recalled.

In 1976, the Delhi police arrested him again, but he managed to escape Tihar jail in 1986. Since Zende was the only officer who had arrested him and knew everything about his modus operandi, the then Maharashtra director general of police gave him the task of hunting down Sobhraj. Zende started the search and soon received information that Charles was in Goa. With a team of cops, he left for the neighbouring state, but couldn't find him. "Since he liked cafés that attract foreign nationals, I decided to check out O'Coqueiro restaurant in Porvorim.

"I still remember that day, April 6, 1986. My suspicions were proven right. We saw him getting out of a car and entering O'Coqueiro. I waited patiently before making our first move because I knew that he would be carrying a gun," he added. "After some time, I walked up to him and said, ‘Hello, Charles, how are you?' Then we grabbed him, took his revolver, tied his hands with a rope and got him inside a car. I asked a constable to sit on him to ensure that he doesn't escape again," Zende said.

According to Zende, Sobhraj has killed dozens of women in Asia. "After his arrest, he confessed to at least 25 murders. When I tried to ask him more questions, he asked me to shut up, saying that my job was to arrest him and now I should remain silent." On the news of his release, Zende said, "I cannot comment on this because this is the order of Nepal's Supreme Court. But, every country needs to rethink about the law before releasing such hardcore criminals."

The Nepal police had arrested Sobhraj in 2003 for killing a North American tourist. He was convicted for life, which means 20 years in Nepal. "As per the court's order, he will be deported back to France," Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Tek Prasad Rai, Nepal, told mid-day. He will be handed over to the immigration on Friday, he added.

1971 & 1986
Years Madhukar Zende arrested Charles Sobhraj