MumBhai: Why Mumbai’s Underworld Feared The Police In The Early 80s?

MumBhai trailer has created major anticipation among the people as Angadi Bedi stole hearts with his charm and acting persona. The movie is a ZEE5 Original and would be premiering on November 6. Helmed by Apoorva Lakhia, MumBhai is a story set in the 1980s when the city of Mumbai was ruled by the underworld. The narrative is based on an encounter specialist who rises to power with an intent to bring down the underworld. The city of Mumbai was under a constant threat in the early 1980s. The underworld in Mumbai at the time was flourishing with extortion rackets which eventually led to the first-ever encounter in Mumbai. This rule by underworld gave birth to some of the commendable encounter specialists who made the underworld fear them.

In the 1980s, Gangsters like Karim Lala, Babu Reshim and Rajan Nair, also known as Bada Rajan, were fighting against each other to establish their supremacy over the city. The Pathan gangs and Dawood Ibrahim were also up against each other in a violent battle. Blood spilt freely on the Mumbai streets. The citizens were getting restless, and the police were getting desperate.

Just a year before the batch of 83 graduated from MPA, Mumbai had witnessed its first encounter killing. Manohar Surve, alias Manya, a young resident of Dadar who went from being a college class topper to a dreaded dacoit, had been gunned down in Wadala on 11 January 1982. This gave rise to several encounters ahead and though came in the role of encounter specialists. The underworld feared of these fierce cops. Here’s a look at 5 Mumbai encounter specialist who weakened the rule of underworld in Mumbai.

Vijay Salaskar

Vijay Salaskar joined Mumbai Police  as a sub inspector in 1983. He created his terror after he encountered Raja Shahabuddin. Salaskar is known to encounter more than  75–80 criminals including key members of the Arun Gawli gang. Salaskar was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was 50. He was honoured with the Ashoka Chakra in 2009.

Pradeep Sharma

Pradeep Sharma joined the State Police Service in 1983 as a sub-inspector. Rising through the ranks, Sharma went on to head the police stations in the suburbs of Mumbai. Pradeep Sharma later became a senior Inspector in the crime intelligence unit of the Mumbai police. In the career span of 25 years, he earned fame for the successful “encounter killings” of as many as 312 criminals, including notorious crime bosses and terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Sharma arrested Iqbal Kaskar; brother of Global Terrorist Dawood Ibrahim in Mumbai on the charges of extortion.

Ravindranath Angre

Ravindranath Angre joined the police force as a Sub-Inspector in 1983. His batchmates include officers like Vijay Salaskar, Pradeep Sharma, Praful Bhosle and Vinayak Saude. Angre has shot dead 33 notorious gangsters in Mumbai, and 21 notorious criminals in Thane, Mumbai. The underworld feared Angre when he gun down Manchekar Gang, including Gang leader Suresh Manchekar, breaking the back of Amar Naik Gang in Mumbai.

Sachin Vaze

Vaze joined the State Police Service in 1990 as a sub inspector. He gained immediae fame by detecting several big cases. He was instrumental in Hindu Muslim harmony in the area when he was posted at Muslim majority Mumbra Police Station Later, he went to head the Special Squad of Thane Crime Branch who started encounters in Thane. In his 30-year career span, Vaze became known for the “encounter killings” of 63 alleged criminals. These include notorious gangsters like Munna Nepali.

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