With Manoj Bajpayee starrer Inspector Zende releasing on Netflix, the notorious Charles Sobhraj case has resurfaced in public reminiscence. At its core, nevertheless, isn’t just Sobhraj–the “Bikini Killer”–however the man who nabbed him not as soon as, however twice: Inspector Madhukar Zende. Whereas his heroics had been celebrated in headlines, the best way India honoured him afterward is a captivating story in itself. Zende’s bravery made waves throughout the nation. India’s then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, stopped his automobile to fulfill him. Lata Mangeshkar made calls to fulfill him. Amul honoured him with a topical. And legendary actor Dilip Kumar booked a whole resort room simply to take heed to his story. Netflix’s Inspector Zende presents a fictionalised account of the story.
In a current dialog with Subhojit Ghosh, Zende recalled the dramatic arrest of Charles Sobhraj at a Goa resort (the second arrest) and the response afterward. “I called my DGP and said, ‘Sir, I have caught him.’ He was overjoyed and instructed me to bring him directly to Mumbai,” Zende recounted.
Charles Sobhraj being dropped at Tis Hazari courts in New delhi. (Categorical photograph by R.L. Chopra)
By the point they reached Panvel, a large police contingent awaited him. A particular aircraft was even dispatched to take Sobhraj to Delhi. “The media was everywhere. Doordarshan aired my interview, newspapers across languages carried my story. The next morning, my nephew in New York called me saying, ‘Uncle, you’re on TIME magazine!’”
Quickly after, Amul unveiled a hoarding in his honour that learn, “Atke Paar Zende.” Positioned proper reverse Lata Mangeshkar’s residence, the tribute caught her eye. The singing icon insisted on assembly the inspector, later attending a grand felicitation in his honour with the complete Mangeshkar household current. “At the event, both Lata ji and Asha Bhosle asked for my autograph,” Zende recalled.
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His fame even reached the Prime Minister. Recognizing him throughout a go to to Mumbai, Rajiv Gandhi stopped his automobile to fulfill the inspector. For safety causes, their assembly was organized the following day at Raj Bhavan, the place the PM personally congratulated Zende and his crew.
French Nationwide Charles Sobhraj leaves the court docket collectively together with his lawyer Jacques Verges. Sobhraj who has linked to a number of unsolved murders in Asia within the Nineteen Seventies, was charged with poisoning his return to France after spending 20 years in Indian Jails. (Categorical photograph)
Then got here Dilip Kumar. “He called me himself,” Zende stated. “He didn’t want to summon me to his house or visit the police station due to the crowd. Instead, he booked a hotel room and requested me to meet him there. We spoke for over an hour. After that, we became close friends–he often invited me to his preview shows.”
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When Zende arrested Charles Sobhraj
Zende’s first encounter with Sobhraj was in 1971, after a tip-off from a thief named Ajay Parekh a couple of deliberate theft on the New India Assurance constructing. Zende arrested Sobhraj close to Mumbai’s Taj Lodge, however throughout the Indo-Pakistan Battle later that yr, Sobhraj escaped from a hospital the place he was admitted for an alleged appendicitis process.
ACP Madhukar Zende, with household after arrest of Charles Sobhraj. (Categorical archive photograph 8.4.86)
In 1986, after Sobhraj staged a sensational escape from Delhi’s Tihar Jail, Zende was as soon as once more tasked with main the hunt. Utilizing info from a resort proprietor and an area phone alternate, he tracked Sobhraj to a restaurant in Goa, lastly arresting him once more on April 6, 1986.
The place is Charles Sobhraj now
After his launch from India in 1997, Charles Sobhraj moved to Paris however was later arrested in Nepal in 2003 for the 1975 homicide of American vacationer Connie Jo Bronzich. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Throughout his years in a Nepali jail, he married lawyer Nihita Biswas. In 2022, at age 78, Sobhraj was launched as a result of well being points and superior age. Now 81, he lives freely in France.
Madhukar Zende, now 88, lives in quiet retirement however stays a legend in Indian policing historical past. Lengthy earlier than CCTV cameras and digital surveillance, he tracked and captured one of many world’s most infamous fugitives–twice. His story stays a uncommon mix of braveness, grit, and nationwide pleasure.
