{{Short description|Defunct Mumbai Police squad known for targeting organized crime in the 1980s-2000s}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}} The '''Mumbai Police Detection Unit''' was a squad within the Mumbai Police which contained several high-profile officers.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/06/mumbai-police-encounter-squad-return Mumbai's infamous police 'encounter squad' dream of comeback] - ''The Guardian'', Sunday 6 March 2011</ref> The squad primarily dealt with members of the Mumbai underworld and other criminal gangs.
The Unit was also colloquially known as the "Encounter Squad" because of its involvement in encounter killings – a euphemistic term for extrajudicial killings committed by police officers.
==Gang wars in Mumbai== The Detection Unit initially came into prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, when they started dealing with Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company gang, the Arun Gawli gang, and the Amar Naik gang.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}
As the prevalence of encounter killings increased, so did the popularity of the "encounter specialist". Officers such as Daya Nayak, Valentine D'Souza, Pradeep Sharma, Ravindranath Angre, Vijay Salaskar, Sachin Vaze and Sanjay Kadam became cult figures, mythologised by the media.<ref name="UAA">{{Cite web |date=2006-01-29 |title=Final Encounter? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/final-encounter/ |access-date=2025-12-08 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref>[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</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-06-26 |title=Ex-cop Isaque Bagwan's memoir charts out Mumbai’s dark underbelly |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/ex-cop-isaque-bagwans-memoir-charts-out-mumbais-dark-underbelly/articleshow/64746021.cms |access-date=2025-12-08 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> The famous killing of Maya Dolas in the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout brought attention to the squad for first time. The squad would go on to kill more than 400 criminals from different gangs.<ref name="Asia Times">{{Cite news |last=Ramachandran |first=Sudha |date=23 June 2007 |title=India can't keep a good don under |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IF23Df01.html |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626055459/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IF23Df01.html |archive-date=26 June 2007 |access-date=23 June 2007 |publisher=Asia Times}}</ref>
Since the cracking of the 1993 Mumbai Bomb blasts case, the squad played an instrumental role in controlling the gangs of Dawood Ibrahim, Chota Rajan, Ashwin Naik, Ravi Pujari, Ejaz Lakdawala, Ali Budesh, and Arun Gawli gangs in Mumbai.<ref name="TIME">{{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</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ahmed |first=Zubair |date=9 June 2004 |title=Bombay's crack 'encounter' police |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3786645.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719173435/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3786645.stm |archive-date=19 July 2018 |access-date=8 December 2025 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Yahoo">{{Cite news |author= |date=11 December 2001 |title=Where Gangsters blinked first |url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/061209/48/6a5zh.html |publisher=Indian Express |via=Yahoo News}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025}} Retrieved on 9 June 2007</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 July 2006 |title=Mumbai’s ‘Dirty Harrys’ are back in action |url=http://archive.thepeninsulaqatar.com/component/content/article/348-indiaarchiverest/59881.html#selection-561.1-561.43 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711091850/http://archive.thepeninsulaqatar.com/component/content/article/348-indiaarchiverest/59881.html |archive-date=11 July 2012 |access-date=8 December 2025 |website=The Peninsula}}</ref>
The end of the squad came with the departure of Vaze and Nayak from service, and death of Vijay Salaskar.<ref name="Times of India">{{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</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite magazine |author=Mustafa Shaikh |date=May 11, 2021 |title=Antilia bomb scare case: Accused Sachin Vaze dismissed from Mumbai Police |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/antilia-bomb-scare-mansukh-hiren-murder-sachin-vaze-dismissed-mumbai-police-1801397-2021-05-11 |magazine=India Today}}</ref>
==Portrayals in popular culture== * ''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.<ref name="RVssR"> * ''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 }}</ref> * ''Rege'' – A Marathi film featuring two characters inspired and named after Pradeep Sharma and Sachin Vaze.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [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