As Part of an inquiry into allegations of a police-underworld nexus, a judge today ordered a search at the house of one of Mumbai’s most well-known crime-busters, Sub Inspector Daya Nayak. The search, carried out by a team of Crime Branch officials, was ordered by special judge A.P. Bhangale attached to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act 1999 (MCOCA) court.Famed as an encounter specialist, Nayak’s count of the gangsters he has gunned down stands at 82. His exploits have inspired films such as Kagaar and Ab Tak Chhappan.The search follows a complaint in the MCOCA court by Ketan Tirodkar, a former journalist, who claimed that he had worked with Nayak on illegal deals which involved the underworld and that he now faced a threat to his life.Tirodkar had earlier approached the Bombay High Court for police protection and sought an inquiry into an alleged nexus between officers of the Mumbai police and gangster Chhota Shakeel. But the petition was dismissed. But the MCOCA court took note of his complaint and summoned eight witnesses to verify Tirodkar’s allegations. A probe was ordered under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Shankar Kamble.Today, when the court enquired about the progress in the investigation, Kamble said the probe had been discontinued following orders from senior officers. The court responded by ordering Kamble to restart the investigation, form his own team of officers, and also search the premises of SI Nayak. Kamble has been asked to submit a report on November 28.Today, a team led by Kamble searched Nayak’s residence in Kandivali for three hours. Nothing incriminating was found, he said.Nayak has been at the centre of a similar controversy earlier in 2001, when the police commissioner ordered a probe after the SI got involved in the construction project of a technical school in his village. He was given a clean chit.
