Daya Nayak : The Encountered 'Encounter Specialist'

A typical Rags to Riches Story… Back to Rags again?

A young man from a backward district in a state called Karnataka in South India. A Brahmin ( Upper Class Hindu ) , studied partially and then moved in 1979 to the then city of Bombay (now Mumbai ) to make a living like most youth’s his age around the end of the 70’s. He started his career working at a small restaurant for a paltry pay, but the owner encouraged him to continue his education. He finished his graduation while still working for the same restaurant.

Pursued further education and got qualified to join the Indian Police. Joined the police formally in 1995 as a Sub-Inspector. While there, he worked his way into the who’s who of the Police and became much respected. He also got attached to the Criminal Intelligence Unit.

In his first year at office, he shot dead Devaraj Suarna and Rajesh Shetty of the Chota Rajan Gang.A year later, Shot dead two Babloo Shrivastav gang members and rescued kidnapped industrialists, and also recovered 4 pistols with a large quantity of ammunition and properties . In 1998, dangerous criminal Feroz Kokani, involved in several killings including that of MLA Ramdas Nayak, escaped from custody from J.J. Hospital by killing a Police Head Constable. Daya arrested the criminals who helped Feroz Kokani to escape. The operation succeeded in the seizure of AK 47 rifle, two automatic pistols and 38 live ammunitions too. Vinod Matkar of the Chota Rajan gang was killed in an encounter by Daya Nayak in 1999. Vinod was wanted in connection with several murders across countries. Christmas eve 1999, an Indian Airline was hijacked by a terrorist group in afgansitan. Withing four days of the hijacking, Daya Nayak arrested five persons with links to the hijackers. Wepons, Ammunition, Cash and a lot of respect for the indian government was recoverd. Tony William Rosario aka Antony , who was wanted in connection with extortion, kidnap , attempt to murders and murders, incuding that of some big name politicians was killed in an encounted with Daya Nayak in the beginning for 2001. Daya Nayak also arrested the criminals of Abu Salem gang who killed Ajit Dewani, a leading secretary to famous cine artistes. On October 31,2001, a senior officer of the Rationing Dept, Govt. of Maharashtra was killed at his residence in broad daylight. This murder had a great concern within the media and the common citizens. In less than six weeks on December 7,2001 Daya Nayak arrested criminals belonging to Chhota Rajan gang and this sensational case was solved. Daya busted an international gang of credit card frauders and arrested fifteen persons including NRIs, a Nigerian citizen and also seized counterfeit international credit cards of various foreign nationals. This is the first detection of such type in Asia. Fraud of crores of rupees has been stopped by this detection. Similarly, the ISI agency is also trying to destabilize Indian economy by circulating counterfeit currency in India. In March 2001, Daya Nayak arrested 14 persons and seized over one crore rupees in counterfeit foreign currency notes. The criminals in this case were convicted for ten years rigorous Imprisonment. While the organized crime in Mumbai is on falling trend, notorious don Abu Salem’s attempt to regain control over the underworld was also neutralized when four of his henchmen were killed in an encounter with Daya and his squad at Lokhandwala complex. The period between December 2002 and March 2003 Mumbai was rocked by series of bomb blasts. Daya unearthed the plot on 29 March 2003 when he along with his team eliminated three dreaded terrorists of the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba on the Western Express Highway, Goregaon.

Daya Nayak has killed many big names of the Indian underworld in encounters, and eliminated many small members of the bigger gangs. He has arrested over 350 hardcore criminals and has captured the most number of forigen wepons. He has also siezed millions of dollors worth of cash and propertys from the underworld. As he’s famously been quoted “I have done 83 encounters. I have arrested more than 300 criminals. I have solved many big cases.” He began to be known as the ‘Encounter Specialist’

Daya Nayak also has friends in big place, be it Indian politics or Indian Cinema. Daya Nayak has helped to found a government school in his hometown in Karnataka, Which was inaugurated by Amitabh Bachchan amidst the presence of many other Bollywood personalities.

Now that was all the good that Daya Nayak had done, really proud that India had a cop that good, but wait, what happened now?

It was alleged, though not established, that the money used to build the school in his hometown was obtained through illegal means, primarily extortion. Daya Nayak is also accused of having huge underworld links, and to be on the pay rolls of many underworld dons, some of whom he has even tried eliminating. Colleagues inside the police department say that Daya Nayak always had an ‘I am bigger than the Commissioner’ attitude. Just recently, Daya Nayak was found to have assets more than his known sources of income, Flats in Switzerland, Foreign Holidays, Finance companies on his wife’s name and lots of other things to the tune of quite a few million. All this for a cop who’s monthly pay was Rupees 9000 (approximately 200 USD) ?

Daya Nayak was apparently ‘on the run’, but presented himself immediately when a session’s court summoned him in this regard. He has been suspended from the Police Force, and his old friends are now turning into foes. Daya Nayak has been running in and out of court , facing bail applications, rejections and facing a lot of legal hurdles.

Did what he do is right? Do Indian cops need to be paid more so they aren’t lured by big bucks from the underworld? Well, that’s another story for another time .