Madhukar Zende, popular for catching Charles Sobhraj, dives into his career

When ldquoBikini Killerrdquo Charles Sobhraj was caught in a Goa restaurant in the 1980s it propelled a Mumbai policemanrsquos name to the headlines and into the lasting consciousness of the publicNow itrsquos Madhukar Zendersquos turn to relate the story of his crimefighting career in the Mumbai Police which spanned far more than the ldquoHello Charlesrdquo for which he became famousZende is the man of the moment with a new memoir out Mumbairsquos Most Wanted published by HarperCollins India His story is also at the centre of a new Netflix film Inspector Zende starring Manoj Bajpayee and Jim SarbhA still from the film Inspector Zende released on NetflixThe famous Sobhraj case has already been the subject of four biographies three documentaries a Bollywood film titled Main Aur Charles a 2021 eightpart BBCNetflix drama series The Serpent and was included in a 2025 Netflix series Black WarrantSpeaking to Zende is a breath of fresh air as he talks about how much he cherishes his time as a policeman ldquoMumbai Police is compared to Scotland Yard but with the way we function I wonrsquot hesitate to say we are even better than them I always tell everyone that the police is there for the service of the public and it can only be accomplished when you have the support of the publicrdquoA man full of adventures in his repertoire he laughs as he recalls extraordinary events that occurred during his career ldquoPeople know me for Charles Sobhraj but they donrsquot know all the other storiesrdquo He recalls when an elephant started chasing people in Mumbairsquos Fort area and how he had to distract it by pulling a cart of sugarcane into a deserted space ldquoI felt like a superman To this day I donrsquot know how I outran a frenzied elephantrdquoZendersquos book written with the help of his son Jai Vijaya Madhukar Zende and published by HarperCollins India PicHarpercollins IndiaZendersquos book is a compilation of his best cases which his son Jai Vijaya Madhukar Zende helped narrate in English Reminiscing about his days as a young police officer Zendersquos voice brightens up as he fills in more personal details ldquoWhen I was posted around Muslim areas I learnt Urdu and the five principles of Islam to be able to connect to the locals there They loved merdquo he excitedly says ldquoSo when the Mumbai 1992 riots broke out I was the only face they trusted considering the air was very antipolice at the time There was a police van in one such area surrounded by the mob who threatened to burn it down I was able to walk inside the locality unarmed and alone and calm down the situation myself Rapport means everything That was my biggest accomplishmentrdquoThe incident which pushed him into the police limelight he says was when he helped calm down a mob during the 1997 semifinals of the Rovers Club between Tata Sports Club and Dempo at Cooperage Football Ground near Nariman Point When the referee disallowed a Tata goal as offside the team walked off the field The match was called off within the first 10 minutes and audiences demanded a refund ldquoThe person in charge of Cooperage refused to give a refund A mob formed setting seats afire and threatening to burn the stadium toordquo His solution was to write ldquoPut out the fire We will refundrdquo on a blackboard and run around the ground asking the mob to calm down ldquoWhen they saw me do that they trusted me That trust is imperative to a policeman Because if there had been no trust back then this incredibly reputed ground may have been destroyed foreverrdquoZendersquos career includes countless such fascinating tales From controlling riots inside the prisons to capturing highprofile criminals Zende has seen and done it all ldquoI was known for my unbiased and ethical policing The public had faith in merdquo he saysNot just the public the dons of the time held him in great regard too ldquoAfter my retirement when I was riding on my scooter through Dharavirsquos lanes Haji Mastan was coming up from behind in his Mercedes He told his driver to not overtake me and instead divert the car to another lane His driver later told me that was how much he respected me And get this mdash I had arrested him twice in my careerrdquoZende was so wellknown for his work as a police officer people cheered him with ldquoZende zindabadrdquo His reputation had reached highlevel politicians too including Rajiv Gandhi ldquoOnce Rajiv Gandhi requested me to visit him in Raj Bhavan He had learnt of me through newspapers and my interviews on Doordarshan It was a proud and visceral moment for merdquoZende emphasises ldquoNo police officer is successful without winning the actual support of the people that he serves I always say police is not a force but a servicerdquoAnd what a legacy of service Zindadil Zende has given us