Sobhraj shouldn't come out of jail, says Ex-Mumbai cop who nabbed him in 1986

Retired Mumbai Assistant Commissioner of Police Madhukar Zende who had arrested serial killer Charles Sobhraj from Goa in 1986 on Thursday reacted cautiously to the news of his impending release from jail in Nepal saying though he thinks dreaded criminals like Sobhraj should not come out of prison for life what the criminal justice system thinks should also be taken into considerationNepals Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Sobhraj 78 a Frenchman of Indian and Vietnamese parentage who has been in jail in the neighbouring country since 2003 on murder charges on health and age groundsZende who as a Mumbai Crime Branch inspector had nabbed the notorious serial killer from a Goa hotel decades ago told PTI in an interview that criminals like Sobhraj are dangerous for society and can commit more crimes if they come out of jailThe septuagenarian had admitted killing 40 to 42 women and is a hardened criminal who can do anything if he comes out Zende saidWhen nabbed from the Goa hotel Sobhraj tried to dodge police by hiding his identity but did not succeed the retired police officer recalled I think he should not come out of jail for life he may commit more crimes he is dangerous for society but what matters is what the criminal justice system thinks Zende saidWhat the justice system thinks is more appropriate he said adding judges are more learned than common people it is their decision and its wrong to comment on thatRecalling the arrest of Sobhraj Zende said when he escaped in a dramatic fashion from the topsecurity Tihar jail in New Delhi it became an international news in 1986Also read Myanmar slave trade lsquoThanks to midday my son is coming homersquoSobhraj scripted his great escape from the Tihar jail in the middle of March in 1986 by offering druglaced sweets to prison staff on the pretext of celebrating his birthdayThough there were six jailers three vehicles went inside the Tihar prison and 16 inmates including the notorious French serial killer escaped he said adding thennobody knew how he looked like Next day a newspaper in Mumbai published photos of Sobhraj I had arrested him in 1971 in a robbery case so the newspaper published a story saying an inspector in the Mumbai Police knew Charles Sobhraj he saidThen Maharashtra DGP Suryakant Jog read the news reportOn March 29 1986 the Railway Police arrested a man who had some connection with Sobhraj and this was conveyed to the thenDGP he saidThe DGP immediately called Zende and a plan was chalked out to arrest the notorious criminalAccordingly multiple police teams were formed and one of them under Zende was sent to GoaInitially there were only two officers in the team and more joined later he said adding the squad went to various locations in the tourist state in search of the Sobhraj Zende was aware Sobhraj has an American wife and he may contact her over the phoneI went to the CTO Central Telegraph Office to check records of phone calls While showing call register an officer there gave information that there is a hotel named O Coqueiro in Goa in Porvorim where foreigners get immediate international calls he saidZende rushed to the hotel with his teamDuring enquiry near a motorcycle taxi stand a man provided information that a foreigner had been hiring a motorcycle and roaming in the state the retired police officer saidOn April 6 1986 our team was at the hotel where I saw Sobhraj walking inside Immediately I hid myself Two officers were asked to stay outside the hotel two stayed in the compound and two were with me Without wasting time I pounced on him Zende said recalling those dramatic momentsSobhraj tried to dodge us and said he didnt know who Charles was To which I replied Charles I know you well I had arrested you in 1971 and you can not forget me the former Mumbai cop saidHe tried to reach out to his revolver but we seized it immediately he saidSobhraj was brought to Mumbai and placed under arrest said Zende adding later he was flown to New Delhi in a Border Security Force BSF aircraftIn 1971 a Mumbai police team had arrested him in a robbery case he said Sobhraj had committed a robbery at Ashoka Hotel in Delhi and later came to Mumbai to commit a similar crime at the Air India cash counter the retired police officer saidHe was arrested along with his five others and arms and ammunition were recovered from him said Zende Later on Sobhraj was nicknamed the Bikini Killer as he had killed at least 20 female tourists in South and Southeast Asia He was convicted in some of the cases and was in prison from 1976 to 1997This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever