Encounter killings

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Encounter killings is a term used to describe situations in which police shoot down gangsters in alleged encounters. Encounter killings were common in Mumbai during the late 90s till mid 2000s and some of the cops came to be known as 'Encounter Specialists'. The Mumbai police resorted to encounter killings as they believed that these killings delivered speedy justice. Encounter killings severely crippled the Underworld in Mumbai and busted the extortion racket which was rampant at that time. Encounter killings, together with torture by police in lock-ups and custodial deaths have irked the Human Rights Activists.^[1]

Pradeep Sharma is India's most successful encounter specialist, who has shot-dead 104 gangsters. "Criminals are filth and I'm the cleaner" is one of his famous lines. [1]

Of late, Human Rights Activists are not the only ones who have been complaining about police encounters. The innocent public have been under suspicion of alleged encounters staged by corrupt policemen targeting innocent civilians.

Many Indian films have also been made depicting police encounters in Bollywood and South Indian Cinema: Ab Tak Chhappan starring Nana Patekar, Encounter: The Killing starring Naseeruddin Shah and the 2003 Tamil film, Kaakha Kaakha.