Mumbai’s encounter era: When underworld sharp shooters and gang members were gunned down by cops

The recent 'Badlapur encounter' of Akshay Shinde, an accused in the sexual assault of two minor girls at a Badlapur school, has reignited attention on the term 'police encounter.' In the 1990s, during Mumbai's underworld era, police encounters were a common method used to eliminate gang members.

Akshay Shinde was killed on September 23 near the Mumbra bypass in Thane district of Maharashtra while he was being transported from Taloja Jail for investigations in another case.

The police claimed that Shinde snatched a revolver from a policeman and fired at the cops present in the vehicle in an alleged attempt to flee. He was eventually shot dead by the police.

Akshay Shinde was arrested by the police after widespread anger over the sexual assault of two minor girls and the parents and locals had also blocked the railway tracks at Badlapur on August 20 as part of their protest alleging negligence in acting on the complaint of sexual assault.

The incident brought back memories of the 90s when the police in Mumbai conducted multiple encounter operations to eliminate underworld gangs and their sharpshooters to protect film stars, businessmen, politicians and high-profile people who used to be the soft targets of the gangs.

The 1990s stood out as a tumultuous decade marked by the dark underbelly of organised crime. It was an era when the city's streets were not just avenues of commerce and culture but battlegrounds for power, marked by encounters and controversies.

The 1990s saw the emergence of notorious gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, who became household names synonymous with fear and infamy. Their reign was characterised by a rapid expansion of organised crime.

"The underworld gangs those days were threats to everyone from politics to Bollywood and even common citizens of the city. The gangsters kept a watch on people from the film industry, high-profile marriages, and even persons who bought imported cars or exported expensive properties. They demanded extortion money using a term called protection money which simply meant to protect them from rivals or different gang shooters," said a former police official not wishing to be named.

The concept of "encounters" became emblematic. Police forces, under pressure to combat the escalating crime wave with frequent extortion attempts, death threats to the influentials of the society and bloodshed on the streets, resorted to encounters to eliminate gangsters and their threats. But, the encounters needed a foul-proof plan too.

Mumbai Crime Branch's ACP Mahesh Desai, who recently retired, was part of at least 28 encounters in Mumbai while he headed Unit 3 of the crime branch, explained the process of an encounter with a criminal.

He told mid-day, "There were certain SOPs that had to be followed during an encounter with a criminal which the department strictly followed."

"After receiving specific details and information regarding an underworld gang member or a shooter, the tip-off was worked on for several days and even weeks. The criminal records of the gang member were scanned and his identity was confirmed and reconfirmed. A dedicated team was prepared which upon approaching the criminal first asked to surrender and if the criminal resisted the encounter was conducted, he said.

ACP Mahesh Desai was part of the encounter squad between 1998 and 2003.

He added, "The security of the team I was heading was also important while out to apprehend an accused or a gang member. It was obvious that the suspect may have a weapon with him and hence while approaching the suspect it was always kept in mind to be secured, for instance, wearing a bullet-proof vest or having a back-up and cover before making any move."

As the decade drew to a close, the consequences of this turbulent period began to crystallise. The once-mighty gangs, now fractured and weakened, left behind a legacy of violence and fear that still echoes in the city's alleys.

The police, having become embroiled in a culture of encounter killings, faced scrutiny and calls for reform with some prominent officials even facing inquiries for alleged 'fake encounters'.