Mumbai encounter specialist Daya Nayak surrenders
by A Sayeed

     Mumbai: Suspended Mumbai encounter specialist Daya Nayak surrendered before the sessions court ahead of the Monday 12 noon deadline. Yesterday Nayak had said that he was a victim of jealousy and rivalry of seniors and officials in the police service. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) booked Nayak under Prevention of Corruption Act for possessing disproportionate assets. Not only this, a case was registered against his wife Komal and associate Rajendra Padte foe assisting Nayak. Earlier the three moved the sessions court for anticipatory bail, but only Komal was granted bail by the Bombay High Court. A special court had on February 17 issued a non-bailable warrant against Nayak on a plea by the Anti-Corruption Bureau ACB, when Nayak had failed to surrender in keeping with the Supreme Court orders. The warrant was issued after public prosecutor R V Kini filed an application to this effect. The court was informed by the ACB that Nayak was not traceable. An Assistant Commissioner of Police in the ACB had said that he had gone to Nayak's residence, but the latter was not there. The sources had added that once Nayak is arrested, he would also be questioned with respect to unconfirmed media reports such as those about his alleged properties in Dubai and Switzerland.

     Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere with a Bombay High Court order while rejecting Daya Nayak's anticipatory bail plea in connection with a disproportionate assets case. The Supreme Court had on February 14, extended protection from arrest for two more days to Nayak. Supreme Court Justice K G Balakrishnan had ruled that Nayak would not be arrested till Friday. Prosecutor R V Kini had opposed the bail plea, saying the ACB had enough material to show that Nayak had assets disproportionate to his income (estimated at nearly two million dollars or Rs. 90 crores) and that the other two applicants had helped him launder the money. Nayak has submitted that the charges of his having wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income were false and that it was a conspiracy hatched by rivals to "finish" his career. Yesterday, Nayak alleged that his mentor Pradeep Sharma, two IPS officers, M N Singh the retired Mumbai commissioner and the incumbent police chief A N Roy. He also disclosed that an anti- corruption leader had demanded a sum of Rs one crore from him. Nayak also revealed that Sharma had let off a gangster in 2001 involved in an arms case for money. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are several crime branch cases that need to be reinvestigated," he said. Putting allegation on Singh, he said that "Instead of probing my case, someone should find out who financed Singh for sending his daughter in United Kingdom for studies." He said that journalist Ketan Tirodkar had accused Nayak for his alleged links with the underworld. Nayak alleged that Sharma was backed by former police chief Singh, and was jealous of Nayak's popularity. He also held Singh responsible for suspension and transfer of police chief P S Pasricha.

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