Click to play videoIndia's men in khaki are feeling the heat. As they tread the fine line between law and lawlessness, CNN-IBN tracks these men and the phenomenon of encounter killings. In a special series, On the Beat, we take a look at the dilemmas, challenges and daily lives of India's policemen.
Mumbai: There was a time when Mumbai lived under the shadow of fear and the likes of Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel and Chhota Rajan. That was in the 90s until gunshots were answered with tougher gunshots.
That was when “encounter specialists” of the Mumbai police force came to fore.
Says Mumbai Police sub inspector, Sunil Banshetwad, “I knew the risks that come with this profession and therefore I joined the force. Whenever a situation arises, serving my country is my first thought.”
Agrees another sub inspector Anil Katake, “When we go out, the only thing on our mind is to make the operation successful.”
History is evidence that despite detailed planning to arrest the target gangster alive, bloodshed is inevitable. So what exactly triggers off an encounter?
“We warn the man we are chasing to surrender. Only when he doesn’t and starts attacking us do we set up an encounter,” says Katake.
So is encounter an effective way of controlling crime? That is debatable. But what is not debatable is the call for duty which is perhaps why the trigger may be pulled again in the future as well.
It’s the network of informants from various gangs that is the key behind every operation and every information comes with a price.
"Keeping the informant under wraps is the trick. If he comes out in the open, it may risk his life. There are government funds for informants," says Banshetwad.
And yet if they have to give one message to the Dawoods and the Chhota Rajans, Katake puts it right. “Don’t dare to look towards India.”
But for these trigger-happy officers, their own colleagues are a family away from their own families. Says Katake, “We can’t attend to family, can’t participate in weddings and ceremonies.”
The “encounter cop” does not ask questions. For him, the ends justify the means.
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