Police inspector Daya Nayak, known as an "encounter specialist", was on Thursday transferred out of Mumbai to Gondia district in eastern Maharashtra.
The order signed by the Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Kulwant Singh Sarangal stated that Nayak was transferred to Gondia on administrative grounds.
Nayak, who was currently posted with the Juhu Unit of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has been instrumental in detecting several important drug-related cases during his stint with the ATS.
All you need to know about 'encounter specialist' Daya Nayak:
Born in 1979 in Karnataka's Udupi district, Daya Nayak moved to Mumbai and did odd jobs to make a living. He worked in hotels and also as a supervisor with a plumber.
In 1995, Nayak joined the Mumbai Police as a trainee. In the late 1990s, he rose to become the city's leading encounter specialist. Reportedly, he has encountered more than 80 gangsters, including the two from Chhota Rajan’s gang and three Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives.
Reportedly, Nana Patekar and Rana Daggubati have portrayed characters based on Nayak in Bollywood movies 'Ab Tak Chhappan' and 'Department' respectively.
In 2000, Nayak built a school in his native village Yenneholle at Karkala in Karnataka, called Radha Nayak Government High School. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was among the attendees for the inauguration.
In 2002, allegations of disproportionate assets were levelled against him, however, a departmental inquiry absolved him of all the charges.
In January 2003, a disproportionate assets case was filed against Nayak. He was investigated by the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) for links with the underworld but was given clean chit after several inquiries in 2004.
In 2006, he was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him for amassing wealth disproportionate to his income. It was found out that Nayak owned multiple properties, including a penthouse in Mumbai’s Malad. Later, he was suspended. He was also arrested in 2006 after the ACB inquiry. However, in 2009, he was let off due to insufficient grounds.
In 2009, the Supreme Court quashed all charges against him under the MCOCA. In 2012, he was reinstated at the additional commissioner of police (west) control room.
