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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
'''Detection Unit''' consisted of several high-profile officers of [[Mumbai Police]].<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.

==Gang wars in Mumbai==
The Unit came to be known as the "Encounter Squad" because of its involvement in the [[Encounter killings by police|encounter killings]]. It came into prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, when they started dealing with [[Dawood Ibrahim]]'s [[D-Company]] gang, the Arun Gawali gang and the Amar Naik gang.

The 'encounter’, was a euphemism for a situation in which a gangster was cornered, asked to surrender, ostensibly attacked the police or tried to escape, and was shot dead in retaliatory action. As the encounters increased, so did the popularity of the "encounter specialist." [[Daya Nayak]], [[Valentine Fernandes]], [[Pradeep Sharma]], [[Ravindranath Angre]], Praful Bhosale, Raju Pillai, [[Vijay Salaskar]], Shivaji Kolekar, [[Sachin Vaze]] and Sanjay Kadam became cult figures, mythologised by the media.<ref name="UAA">[http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/86799/ Final Encounter]</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=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} - 22 June 2002, Express India</ref> The famous killing of [[Maya Dolas]] in the [[1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout]] bought focus on this unit for first time. More than 400<ref name="Asia Times">{{Cite news|title=India can't keep a good don under|publisher=Asian times|date=23 June 2007|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IF23Df01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626055459/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IF23Df01.html |url-status=unfit |archive-date=26 June 2007 |access-date=23 June 2007 }}</ref> criminals from different gangs were killed by this squad.

Since the cracking of the 1993 [[1993 Bombay bombings|Mumbai Bomb blasts]] case, the squad played an instrumental role in controlling the [[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 name="BBC.CO.UK">{{Cite news|title=Bombay's crack Encounter Police|publisher=BBC NEWS|author=Zubair Ahmed|date=9 June 2004|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3786645.stm}} Retrieved on 9 June 2007</ref><ref name="Yahoo">{{Cite news|title=Where Gangsters blinked first|publisher=in.news.yahoo|author=Indian Express|date=11 December 2001|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/061209/48/6a5zh.html}} Retrieved on 9 June 2007</ref>

The squad was dissolved after rival dons [[Dawood Ibrahim|Dawood]] and [[Chota Rajan]] fled India, but revived after the [[11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings]]. Then after 2006 some Mysterious hit groups lead 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>[http://archive.thepeninsulaqatar.com/component/content/article/348-indiaarchiverest/59881.html "Mumbai’s ‘Dirty Harrys’ are back in action"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120711091850/http://archive.thepeninsulaqatar.com/component/content/article/348-indiaarchiverest/59881.html |date=2012-07-11 }}</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=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-31/mumbai/27968602_1_guru-satam-gang-chhota-rajan-gang-datta-samant|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=dead|work=[[The Times of India]]|archive-date=22 October 2012}} Retrieved on 31 October 2007</ref> killed in a gun battle at Rangbhavan Lane during Mumbai 26/11 Terrorist attack.

==Portrayals in popular culture==
* ''[[Ab Tak Chhappan]]'' — [[Nana Patekar]] playing role of Sadhu Agashe based on [[Daya Nayak]]
* ''[[Company (2002 film)|Company]]'' — [[Vivek Oberoi]] playing [[Chhota Rajan]], Mohanlal playing Encounter Squad Chief
* ''[[Shootout at Wadala]]'' — [[John Abraham (actor)|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: Pride and Honour|Garv]]'' — Brothers Salman and Arbaaz Khan play roles of inspectors of Encounter squad
* ''[[Golimaar (film)|Golimaar]]'' - Gangaram (Gopichand) is an orphan who dreams of becoming a police officer from childhood
* ''[[Department (film)|Department]]'' - At least one further film is planned.<ref name="RVssR">[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|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]]

Mumbai Police Detection Unit - Revision history

imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 2 archive links. Wayback Medic 2.5