Chhota Rajan coming back to India, search for Dawood Ibrahim and now bringing back all suspended cops those who were known for their encounter with underworld cannot be termed as unbiased co-incidence. Daya Nayak was known for fighting the underworld nexus. His career as an encounter specialist began in Mumbai, when he shot two gangsters from Chhota Rajan’s gang in Juhu. Controversial police sub-inspector Daya Nayak, who has to his credit 83 encounter killings, was reinstated in police service by the state government. Nayak was suspended in July 2015, after he failed to report to Nagpur where he had been transferred in 2014. The suspension order, which was issued in July, last year, came from the then Maharashtra director general of police (DGP), Sanjeev Dayal. In 2003, Ketan Tirodkar, former journalist, accused Daya Nayak of having links with the Mumbai underworld, and of amassing wealth disproportionate to his income through illegal means. Tirodkar alleged that he had become friends with Nayak in 2002, and ran an extortion business with him.
The 1995 batch officer had been suspended once before, in January 2006, after a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court ordered the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to conduct an inquiry into his wealth. Allegations against Nayak’s disproportionate assets had started as early as January 2002, when he inaugurated his Radhabhai Nayak School in Yennehole village at Karkala in Karnataka, which was attended by Karnataka’s then Education Minister H Vishwanath, painter MF Hussain as well as actors Amitabh Bachchan, Sunil Shetty and Aftab Shivdasani. A departmental inquiry, however, had cleared Nayak of all allegations. In 2006, the ACB inquiry led to Nayak’s arrest after a court rejected his anticipatory bail. But, in October 2009, the then DGP, SS Virk, denied permission to prosecute Nayak, citing insufficient evidence.
In 2012, after being out of the force for nearly six-and-a-half years, Nayak was reinstated and transferred to the west region (Bandra to Andheri) of the city which is considered as a ‘high-profile’ zone in the police department. Since then, Nayak had maintained a low profile.
Daya was born in Udupi district, Karnataka. In 1979, he moved to Mumbai and began working in hotels and as a supervisor with a plumber to make a living. Daya joined the Mumbai Police in 1995 as a trainee and rose to become the city’s leading encounter specialist in late 1990s. As a member of the Detection Unit, Daya is said to have shot dead more than 80 gangsters including three Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives.
Recently, Rajan had alleged that “some members” in the Mumbai Police have links with wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim which is world known fact, each gangster let it be Rajan, Dawood or Gawli had their Khaki shooters in department and Khadi goons to protect them. Many a times nexus between the men in khaki and the Mumbai underworld has come to light. Moreover, now Chhota Rajan is accusing police officers as Dawood counterparts is due to his insecurity and fear. Ever since the late 90s the methods adopted by ‘encounter specialists’ of the Mumbai police to eliminate gangsters have come under scrutiny these men were accused of carrying out fake encounters as agents of the underworld. Just three men, Pradeep Sharma, Daya Nayak and Ravindra Angre have conducted more than 240 encounters between them. Pradeep Sharma was arrested for ordering one such encounter. He has a staggering total of a 104 encounters to his “credit”.
Daya Nayak, with 83 encounters under his belt, was arrested for underworld links and owning disproportionate assets. He was reinstated in 2010, but has not been given any post yet. Ravindra Angre, responsible for 52 encounters, was arrested for assaulting and trying to extort money from a local builder and has been granted bail only recently.
Rajan is a close confidante-turned-rival of Dawood, the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. He is most cruel and insensitive criminal. I just don’t feel like believing the reports that Chhota Rajan is fearing for his life and that is why he is eager to surrender and accept Z+ VVIP security in Indian jail? How a don who himself ordered killings of hundreds of people at his will and became king of criminal’s empire risking his life throughout his life is suddenly scared of death? If he had lived like a don then he should prefer; prepare to die like a don, fearlessly facing the danger of death and not languishing in a jail like cowardice; succumbing to old age or disease. Anyways, why is he pretending to fear as his own brother-in-law who is workers union leader and his wife’s brother, who has convinced Rajan to return to India looking at his good relations with BJP. Moreover, why media is getting carried away with false planted tips?
Anyway, it’s nice to see brave cops being reinstated. Daya was quite famous after a  Bollywood. Hindi movies Ab Tak Chhappan and Kagaar which was based on Nayak’s life released, The 2007 film Risk by Vishram Sawant has overtones from Daya Nayak’s life. A Telugu film, titled Golimaar released in 2010 is also inspired by his life. The 2012 Bollywood film Department highlights the encounter specialists of the Mumbai Police; Daya Nayak’s role is played by Sanjay Dutt. The sequel of Ab Tak Chhappan was released in February 2015.
