Mumbai, Jan. 20: Encounter specialist Daya Nayak, the man who has inspired Bollywood films, has been booked by the anti-corruption bureau for owning assets disproportionate to his income.
Nayak’s whereabouts were not known when members of the bureau raided his house tonight. The sub-inspector, said to have business interests in transport, real estate and even film production, is accused of possessing assets worth over Rs 4 crore.
There were also reports of his alleged links with the underworld. In May 2004, a special court had directed Mumbai police commissioner A.N. Roy to seek sanction from a competent authority to prosecute him for his alleged links with Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel. The police later gave Nayak a clean chit.
“We believe he financed the Nana Patekar-starrer Ab Tak Chappan which was publicised as loosely based on his life. He also financed some south Indian flicks,” said a senior source in Mumbai police.
“Daya has a colourful and expensive lifestyle. He likes the good things of life,” said one of his peers who was one of the core members of the Mumbai crime branch along with Nayak.
The police began to act against Nayak after a Bombay High Court bench said on December 22 that even a private person’s complaint could lead to registration of a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
Ketan Tirodkar, a journalist and social worker, first moved court with an application against Nayak. Tirodkar said in the application that Mumbai police had filed a report on property amassed by Nayak before a court set up under the act, handing over the inquiry to the anti-corruption bureau.
He had alleged that the case was never heard. On January 16, when it did come up, the court asked the public prosecutor to file an affidavit in two weeks.
“A certain section of senior officials was protecting Daya. But the court gave us a direction and a warrant against Daya was issued,” said the Mumbai police official.
Nayak is now attached to the Charkop police station of Greater Mumbai’s Zone XI, broadly known as the Kandivili area. He was sidelined in the crime branch after allegations of corruption were levelled against him.
