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Encounter killings return to Bombay

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

Bombay, November 14: Bloodsport returned to the mean streets of Encounter killings return to Bombay as three high-profile police killings echo to a violent past.

Sharpshooter for the notorious Ejaz Lakdawala gang, Imran Radiowala, Vijay Choudhary of the Guru Satam gang and ex-Chhota Rajan gangster Nadeem Haider were recently killed in police encounters.

Justifying the encounters, R.R. Patil, Home Minister for the State of Maharashtra said, ''the crime rate is high so the police have to take this retaliatory action.''

It seems like a feeble justification for what many call cold-blooded murder, for crime has nothing to do with it.

Encounters are how the police and underworld settle scores. This despite a circular issued by the state home minister asking the men in uniform to rein in the bullets.

''There is no need to glamourize encounters. They are a retaliation,'' said Devin Bharti, DCP Crime, Bombay.

Such incidents are a reminder of Bombay's bloody past - a time when encounter killings averaged 30 to 40 a year; a time when the Bombay police department were accused of being a trigger-happy force.