Chapter 5: The Encounter Era – Mumbai Police vs The Underworld

The gleaming skyline, busy streets and ceaseless rush of India’s financial capital concealed a darker reality in the 1990s.

Organised crime had rooted itself in every corner. Extortion drained families of their earnings. Gang wars turned quiet streets into battlegrounds. Gunshots shattered the calm of neighbourhoods, and the slow wheels of justice arrests and trials could barely keep pace.

In response, Mumbai Police turned to a new, controversial strategy: confrontations in the field, often deadly, that came to be known as police “encounters.”

Some saw these encounters as a harsh necessity. Others saw them as law gone rogue.

This chapter delves into the rise of the encounter era, the men who made it infamous, the operations that shook the city, and the legal and moral debates that continue to divide opinion.

The Origins: First Encounter and Early Years

The story of Mumbai’s encounter era dates back to January 11, 1982.

That day, sub-inspector Isaque Bagwan of Mumbai Police conducted what is widely regarded as the city’s first recorded police encounter, killing notorious gang figure Manya Surve in Wadala. The operation culminated when Surve drew a revolver during the confrontation and was shot dead by officers. This incident marked a departure from traditional arrests to field‑level lethal force.

Surve had risen through Mumbai’s underworld and was linked to multiple violent crimes. His death was widely covered in the media and seen as a decisive moment in police‑underworld confrontations.

In the rest of the 1980s, encounter killings remained limited but significant, signalling a strategic shift in policing methodology. By the early 1990s, as gang violence intensified, the encounter approach would become routine.

1993 Bombay Bombings: A Turning Point

The 1993 Bombay bombings a series of coordinated explosions across key city locations left more than 250 people dead and hundreds injured, sending shockwaves through Mumbai’s civic life.

Public anger demanded swift action not just against the perpetrators of that attack but also against the broader organised crime networks believed to contribute to the city’s law‑and‑order breakdown.

In the aftermath, Mumbai Police leadership empowered specialised teams to pursue gang leaders aggressively often outside the slow corridors of the judicial process. These units were tasked with neutralising major underworld figures through direct confrontation, with use of force justified as necessary for public safety.

Who Were the Encounter Specialists?

By the mid‑1990s and into the 2000s, a group of officers earned the title “encounter specialists” those most associated with lethal field confrontations with alleged criminals.

Among the most prominent were:

Pradeep Sharma, A senior inspector widely credited with a high number of encounters, Sharma reportedly conducted well over 100 such engagements during his tenure. His actions later became controversial, particularly in the 2006 Ramnarayan Gupta (Lakhan Bhaiyya) case where courts questioned the encounter’s legitimacy.

Daya Nayak, Known for his operational role in numerous deadly confrontations, Nayak has been linked to more than 80 encounters during his career. After a mixed record of service and controversies, he was promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) shortly before retirement.

Vijay Salaskar, Senior inspector in the Crime Branch, credited with around 75–80 encounters, especially against members of the Arun Gawli gang. Salaskar was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for bravery.

Sachin Vaze, Praful Bhosale, Ravindra Angre; Other key names linked to numerous operations throughout the encounter era.

These officers were celebrated in the media and by many citizens, seen as a forceful response to relentless gang violence. But their records also drew intense scrutiny and controversy later in their careers.

Encounters in Action: Stories That Shocked the City

Several encounters became symbolic of this era, capturing public attention and media headlines for better or worse.

Lokhandwala Complex Shootout (1991)

In a high-profile confrontation, police chased gangster Dilip Buwa and his associates in the Versova area. The ensuing gunfight lasted over an hour in broad daylight, ending with Buwa’s death along with several gang members. This incident was widely covered and brought the encounter tactic into the public spotlight.

Thane-Bhiwandi Anti-Extortion Operation (2002)

A coordinated action by anti-extortion units led to the deaths of multiple gang leaders after they reportedly opened fire on officers. Multiple weapons were recovered, and the operation was framed as a major blow to local organised crime.

These were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern where police engagements with criminals were increasingly likely to end in death rather than arrest.

Numbers Behind the Shootouts

Available records indicate that from 1982 to 2004, a total of 622 alleged criminals were killed in encounters in Mumbai.

In the late 1990s, the city witnessed as many as 80–100 encounter killings annually, with many police officers tracking and even publicising their ‘score’ of suspect deaths.

Such figures made encounters not just a policing tactic, but a defining feature of criminal justice in Mumbai during that period.

Public Response and Media Frenzy

Many citizens in the 1990s and early 2000s supported aggressive policing. They saw quick deaths of gang leaders as preferable to prolonged court battles that often ended in acquittals due to lack of evidence.

Media coverage amplified this sentiment. Newspapers ran dramatic headlines, broadcast channels featured specials on gang violence and police action, and popular culture including films inspired by real events helped cement the image of ‘encounter specialists’ as vigilante heroes of a chaotic city.

Yet, this media celebration was double-edged. Critics highlighted how sensationalism blurred the line between reporting on crime and glorifying deadly force.

Controversy and Legal Challenges

With time, questions about the legality of many encounters gained prominence. Critics argued that such killings were essentially extra-judicial executions with little legal oversight.

A turning point came with the Lakhan Bhaiyya encounter (2006) involving Ramnarayan Gupta, an alleged aide of gangster Chhota Rajan. A sessions court later convicted several police officers for staging the encounter rather than responding to an armed threat, calling it a “cold-blooded murder.”

Another legal scrutiny involved allegations of custodial deaths and staged scenes in certain cases, leading to debates in courts and among legal scholars about the limits of police authority.

The Decline of the Encounter Era

By the late 2000s and into the 2010s, the frequency of deadly encounters declined sharply.

Several factors contributed:

• Judicial scrutiny on encounter legitimacy increased.

• Laws like the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) emphasised evidence-based prosecution over shoot-to-kill tactics.

• Specialised policing focused on intelligence, surveillance and coordinated investigation rather than immediate lethal force.

• Organized crime itself shifted towards financial, digital and networked forms, making direct street confrontations less effective.

By the early 2010s, encounters were increasingly rare, and the police publicly stressed due process and investigative protocols.

Legacy: Lessons and Debates

The encounter era remains one of the most debated chapters in Mumbai’s policing history.

Supporters argue it helped break the back of violent crime, weakening gang networks and reducing extortion and turf wars that once terrorised the city.

Critics stress the dangers of sanctioning lethal force outside judicial oversight, warning that it can create a “parallel justice system” and erode public trust in law enforcement norms.

As India’s justice system continues to evolve, the legacy of these encounters their impact on crime, justice, and civil liberties continues to shape policy discussions across the country.

Sources

1. Mumbai’s infamous encounter specialists and their record – The Hindu deep report.

2. Shootout at Versova: When gangs & encounter specialists ruled Mumbai – Indian Express long read.

3. Mumbai’s first recorded encounter and encounter statistics (1982–2004) – Wikipedia data.

4. Lakhan Bhaiyya encounter conviction and legal scrutiny – Indian Express analysis.

5. Period encounter figures and trends – Times of India archives.

6. Encounter specialists rise and controversies overview – NDTV historical reporting.