Mumbai Police Detection Unit

The Unit came to be known as the "Encounter Squad" because of its involvement in the encounter killings. It came into prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, when they started dealing with Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company gang, the Arun Gawali gang and the Amar Naik gang.

The 'encounter’, was a euphemism for a situation in which a gangster was cornered, asked to surrender, ostensibly attacked the police or tried to escape, and was shot dead in retaliatory action. As the encounters increased, so did the popularity of the "encounter specialist." Daya Nayak, Valentine D'Souza, Pradeep Sharma, Ravindranath Angre, Praful Bhosale, Raju Pillai, Vijay Salaskar, Shivaji Kolekar, Sachin Vaze and Sanjay Kadam became cult figures, mythologised by the media.[http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/86799/ Final Encounter]

The first encounter occurred on 11 January 1982 when gangster Manya Surve was shot dead by police officers Raja Tambat and Isaque Bagwan at the Wadala area.[http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=21225 City’s first encounter ended two years of urban dacoity]{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} - 22 June 2002, Express India The famous killing of Maya Dolas in the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout bought focus on this unit for first time. More than 400{{Cite news|title=India can't keep a good don under|publisher=Asian times|date=23 June 2007|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IF23Df01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626055459/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IF23Df01.html |url-status=unfit |archive-date=26 June 2007 |access-date=23 June 2007 }} criminals from different gangs were killed by this squad.

Since the cracking of the 1993 Mumbai Bomb blasts case, the squad played an instrumental role in controlling the Dawood Ibrahim, Chota Rajan, Ashwin Naik, Ravi Pujari, Ejaz Lakdawala, Ali Budesh, and Arun Gawli gangs in Mumbai.{{Cite news|title=Urban Cowboys|publisher=TIME CNN|author=ALEX PERRY|date=6 January 2003 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,404315,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202011701/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,404315,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 February 2008}} Retrieved on 9 June 2007{{Cite news|title=Bombay's crack Encounter Police|publisher=BBC News|author=Zubair Ahmed|date=9 June 2004|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3786645.stm}} Retrieved on 9 June 2007{{Cite news|title=Where Gangsters blinked first|publisher=in.news.yahoo|author=Indian Express|date=11 December 2001|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/061209/48/6a5zh.html}} Retrieved on 9 June 2007

The squad was dissolved after rival dons Dawood and Chota Rajan fled India, but revived after the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings. Then after 2006 some mysterious hit groups led by an unknown youth from south India ruled with local, national as well as international support continued until the end of 2009. Then they just vanished even as per the police records.[http://archive.thepeninsulaqatar.com/component/content/article/348-indiaarchiverest/59881.html "Mumbai’s ‘Dirty Harrys’ are back in action"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120711091850/http://archive.thepeninsulaqatar.com/component/content/article/348-indiaarchiverest/59881.html |date=2012-07-11 }}

The end of the squad came with the departure of Vaze and Nayak from service, and death of Vijay Salaskar.{{Cite news|title=Rajan Gangster dead|date=31 October 2007|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Rajan-gangster-shot-dead/articleshow/2503867.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022112044/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-31/mumbai/27968602_1_guru-satam-gang-chhota-rajan-gang-datta-samant|url-status=live|work=The Times of India|archive-date=22 October 2012}} Retrieved on 31 October 2007 While Vaze was later dismissed for his involvement in the Antilia bomb scare in February 2021 and Nayak was transferred after reinstatement in 2012, Salaskar was killed in a gun battle at Rangbhavan Lane during the November 2008 terror attack in Mumbai.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/antilia-bomb-scare-mansukh-hiren-murder-sachin-vaze-dismissed-mumbai-police-1801397-2021-05-11|title=Antilia bomb scare case: Accused Sachin Vaze dismissed from Mumbai Police|author=Mustafa Shaikh |date=May 11, 2021 |magazine=India Today}}

• Ab Tak Chhappan – Nana Patekar playing role of Sadhu Agashe based on Daya Nayak
• Company – Vivek Oberoi playing Chhota Rajan, Mohanlal playing Encounter Squad Chief
• Shootout at Wadala – John Abraham playing Manya Surve, movie on Manya's Encounter,
• Shootout at Lokhandwala – Vivek Oberoi playing Maya Dolas, film based on Maya's Encounter,
• Aan: Men at Work – Character based on real-life inspectors
• Sarfarosh – Fictional story based upon the Indian underworld.
• Encounter: The Killing – It stars Naseeruddin Shah, Dilip Prabhavalkar and Tara Deshpande in pivotal roles.
• Garv – Brothers Salman and Arbaaz Khan play roles of inspectors of Encounter squad
• Golimaar – Gangaram (Gopichand) is an orphan who dreams of becoming a police officer from childhood
• Department – At least one further film is planned.
• Mumbai Saga – Based on Amar Naik>

[http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/09/15/ArticleHtmls/BIGB-TO-STAR-IN-RGV%E2%80%99S-COP-FILM-15092010538002.shtml?Mode=1 "BIG B TO STAR IN RGV'S COP FILM - HINDUSTAN TIMES"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002174739/http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/09/15/ArticleHtmls/BIGB-TO-STAR-IN-RGV%E2%80%99S-COP-FILM-15092010538002.shtml?Mode=1 |date=2011-10-02 }}

• Rege – A Marathi film featuring two characters inspired and named after Pradeep Sharma and Sachin Vaze.

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202011701/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,404315,00.html Urban Cowboys] - TIME
• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3786645.stm Bombay's crack 'encounter' police] - BBC News
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070626055459/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IF23Df01.html India can't keep a good don down] - Asia Times
• [http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/03mum.htm Encounter man Pradip Sharma completes 'century']
• [http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2005/s1432704.htm India - Mumbai Mean Streets] - ABC news
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929125636/http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/jul252006/national1839362006724.asp Encounter specialists are back in action] - Deccan Herald
• [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Rajan_gangster_shot_dead/articleshow/2503867.cms Rajan gangster shot dead] - The Times of India

Category:Mumbai Police

Category:Government of Mumbai

Category:Organised crime in India

Category:1997 establishments in Maharashtra

Category:Encounters in India