Mumbai Police Commissioner A.N. Roy has called for further probe into allegations of encounter expert Daya Nayak’s links with the underworld. The probe will now extend to Ketan Tirodkar, a former journalist, who brought up the charges against Nayak.Roy submitted a report before a special court on Monday, naming Assistant Commissioner of Police Dilip Sawant, of the Economic Offences Wing, to probe Nayak’s alleged links with gangsters. Sawant would be the fourth senior officer to investigate the allegations made against one of Mumbai’s famous crime-busters, a man whose exploits inspired the Bollywood thrillers Ab Tak Chhappan.Roy’s report which deals with the interface of the police and the underworld says, prima facie, it appears there is a case against four other persons, including complainant Tirodkar, who had alleged that Nayak has links with the underworld, in particular with gangster Chhota Shakeel. ‘‘We are likely to appeal against the report in the Bombay High Court,’’ Tirodkar’s lawyer Amin Solkar said.The case against Nayak began last year when Tirodkar approached Bombay High Court in November with his accusations, but the plea was dismissed by the judge who asked police to probe the case instead. Tirodkar had then filed a plea in the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Court, following which the court examined nine witnesses including former Mumbai police commissioners R.H. Mendonca, R.S. Sharma and DCP Pradeep Sawant. Later, the MCOCA court had asked Roy whether MCOCA was applicable to Nayak and other accused as alleged by Tirodkar.Roy had then sought time to file his replies. Today, he told the court that the charges had to be probed further.
