Crack shots twiddle thumbs after HC order

December 25: In the last two weeks Vijay Salaskar's mobile has not been ringing with the frequency it used to. "Informants call up wit...

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December 25: In the last two weeks Vijay Salaskar’s mobile has not been ringing with the frequency it used to. "Informants call up with vital tip-offs and we discuss weather with them…they are more than a bit disappointed," says a close associate of the man who has 17 encounter killings to his account and who has been variously described as the "top-gun" or the "exterminator", depending on which side of the human rights fence you are.

Salaskar belongs to one of the four squads who have come under sharp focus following an inquiry instituted by the Bombay High Court in the encounter deaths of Javed Fawda, Sada Pawle and Vijay Tandel. There are serious allegations against them – that they kill unarmed criminals and also, sometimes, innocents. Quite naturally, there is intense pressure on them and their seniors have asked them to lie low for some time.

And that’s exactly what they are doing. "Why should we stick our neck out for the society," asks an officer, "what do we get in return – a commendatory note or a cash reward of Rs 2,000 to be divided among the entire team."

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It is over two weeks now since December 10 when the probe was ordered, and the special squads have virtually nothing to show by way of performance, with the lone exception of an encounter with a Chhota Shakeel man on December 11 at Dadar. For a man who has spent a better part of his career chasing Sada Pawle, one of the most clever criminals Mumbai has ever seen, such lack of activity can be very boring. "Our drive against criminals has come to a complete standstill. If the reward for killing a man like Sada Pawle is brickbats, then I prefer to remain idle," said another officer from the Nagpada police station. But about the allegations that they kill unarmed criminals in fake encounters? "The criminals carry automatic guns. We don’t kill people without provocation. We shoot to save our lives," he said.

The story of Pradeep Sharma’s team or north-west squad is no different. Formed in October last year, Sharma’s squad has till date gunned down 19 gangsters, arrested 22, seized 30 weapons and nine kgs of brown sugar worth Rs 9 crore and foiled an attempt on film producer, Subhash Ghai’s life. Suddenly, everything has stopped. "My team has lost its enthusiasm. There is no motivation left," claims the operational chief of the squad.

Praful Bhosale’s squad, which is a parallel squad in Zone II, too had tasted fair amount of success. Besides cracking down on gang activities, the squad had busted a major fake currency racket. The currency notes had originated from Pakistan. "Our team has stopped chasing top gangsters including Gawli aides Pandurang Mandvi and Sudhir Surve and Chhota Rajan’s lieutenant Rohit Verma. In fact, we were tipped about Ashwin Naik’s movements twice, but we did not go there," said an officer of the squad.

And the morale is down in the entire police machinery. DCPs have revealed operations which were abandoned at the last minute for fear of exchange of fire. On December 13, constable Vishwas Patil, suffered a bullet injury when he tried to stop a speeding car and the driver fired at him. Patil did not fire back at him though he was armed. "This incident may be a fallout of the demoralisation of the police force," said the additional commissioner of police (crime), S P S Yadav. However, Yadav hopes that the phase will end soon.