Encounter killings
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Encounter killings is a euphemism used to describe extra judicial killings in which police shoot down gangsters in alleged encounters. Encounter killings were common in Mumbai, India, during the late 90s till mid 2000s and some of the cops came to be known as 'Encounter Specialists'. The Mumbai police resorted to encounter killings as they believed that these killings delivered speedy justice. Encounter killings severely crippled the Underworld in Mumbai and busted the extortion racket which was rampant at that time. Encounter killings, together with torture by police in lock-ups and custodial deaths have irked the Human Rights Activists.[1]
Pradeep Sharma is India's most successful encounter specialist, who has shot-dead 104 gangsters. "Criminals are filth and I'm the cleaner" is one of his famous lines.[2]
Some of the well known encounter specialists (with encounter killing count in bracket) include
- Pradip Sharma - 104[3]
- Daya Naik - 82[3]
- Praful Bhosale - 77[3]
- Ravindra Angre - 51[3]
- Sachin Hindurao Vaze - 48[4]
- Vijay Salaskar - 40[3]
Many Indian films have also been made depicting police encounters in Bollywood and South Indian Cinema: Ab Tak Chhappan starring Nana Patekar, Encounter: The Killing starring Naseeruddin Shah and the 2003 Tamil film, Kaakha Kaakha. The most recent blockbuster based on an infamous real life encounter is Shootout at Lokhandwala.
[edit] References
- ^ C R Sridhar. Sunshine India: Encounter Killings, Torture and Custodial Deaths. October 11, 2006.
- ^ Alex Perry. Urban Cowboys. TIME Magazine. Jan. 06, 2003.
- ^ a b c d e Encounter man Pradip Sharma completes 'century'
- ^ Fallen Heroes. India Today.
[edit] Links
[edit] External links
- Interview with Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner [1]
- Reduced to Ashes: A Report on Disappearances and Encounters in Punjab [2]
- India: Extrajudicial Killings under the spotlight [3]
