Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

"Charles, I Know You": Cop Recalls Encounter With "Bikini Killer" Sobhraj 4 Decades Ago

"Charles, I Know You": Cop Recalls Encounter With "Bikini Killer" Sobhraj 4 Decades Ago

"On April 6 (1986), our team was at the hotel, where I saw Sobhraj walking inside..." retired Mumbai police officer Madhukar Zende recalls
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 consideration.

Nepal's 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 grounds.

Zende, 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 jail.

The septuagenarian had admitted killing 40 to 42 women and is a hardened criminal, who can do anything if he comes out, Zende said.

When 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 said.

What the justice system thinks is more appropriate, he said, adding "judges are more learned than common people, it is their decision and it's wrong to comment on that".

Recalling the arrest of Sobhraj, Zende said when he escaped in a dramatic fashion from the top-security Tihar jail in New Delhi, it became an international news in 1986.

Sobhraj scripted his great escape from the Tihar jail in the middle of March in 1986 by offering drug-laced sweets to prison staff on the pretext of celebrating his birthday.

Though there were six jailers, three vehicles went inside the Tihar prison and 16 inmates, including the notorious French serial killer, escaped, he said, adding then nobody 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 said.

Then Maharashtra DGP Suryakant Jog read the news report.

On March 29, 1986, the Railway Police arrested a man who had some connection with Sobhraj and this was conveyed to the then-DGP, he said.

The DGP immediately called Zende and a plan was chalked out to arrest the notorious criminal.

Accordingly, multiple police teams were formed and one of them under Zende was sent to Goa.

Initially, 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 phone.

"I 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 said.

Zende rushed to the hotel with his team.

During 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 said.

"On 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 moments.

"Sobhraj tried to dodge us and said 'he didn't 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 said.

"He tried to reach out to his revolver, but we seized it immediately," he said.

Sobhraj was brought to Mumbai and placed under arrest, said Zende, adding later he was flown to New Delhi in a Border Security Force (BSF) aircraft.

In 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 said.

He 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 1997.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×