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Mumbai: Senior Inspector Daya Nayak, once renowned as Mumbai's ‘encounter specialist’, has been promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). His elevation was confirmed on Tuesday by the Maharashtra home department, alongside promotions of senior inspectors Jivan Kharat, Deepak Dalvi, and Pandurang Pawar, who along with Nayak are all set to retire on July 31.
Nayak, who began his policing career in 1995, is currently attached to the Bandra unit of the Crime Branch. He rose to prominence during the 1990s for his involvement in numerous high-stakes operations targeting Mumbai’s underworld, and is said to have been part of over 80 encounters against gangsters linked to notorious figures such as Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.
His exploits even inspired the 2004 Hindi film Ab Tak Chhappan, which drew from his reputation in the force.
Over nearly three decades in service, Nayak has taken on some of the police department’s most challenging assignments. As head of Unit-9 of the elite crime detection wing, he oversaw investigations into several high-profile incidents, including the firing at actor Salman Khan’s residence allegedly carried out by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, and an intrusion case involving actor Saif Ali Khan.
He also served with the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), contributing to probes into major cases such as the security scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiren in 2021.
Despite his achievements, Nayak’s career has faced turbulence. In 2006, he was suspended after being accused by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of possessing assets disproportionate to his income. Cleared of all charges five years later, he returned to duty at Amboli Police Station, where he led a crackdown on drug suppliers before being reassigned to the Crime Branch.
