Who is Pradeep Sharma? Inside the Mind of the Ex-Mumbai Cop Who Took Down 112 Gangsters

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Pradeep Sharma, a former Mumbai Police encounter specialist, faced a significant turn of events as the Bombay High Court sentenced him to life imprisonment for his alleged involvement in the killing of Chhota Rajan gang member Ramnarayan Gupta, also known as Lakhan Bhaiyya, in a purported fake encounter back in 2006. This decision comes 11 years after Sharma was acquitted by a Mumbai court in connection with the same incident near Nana Nani Park in Versova.

Here are some key insights into Pradeep Sharma’s tumultuous career within the Mumbai Police:

1. Legacy of the 1983 Batch: Sharma belongs to the renowned 1983 batch of police officers, which included notable figures like Vijay Salaskar, Praful Bhosle, Ravindra Angre, and Vinayak Saude. This cohort gained prominence for their relentless crackdown on the Mumbai underworld, confronting notorious figures such as Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Chhota Rajan, Arun Gawli, and Amar Naik.
2. Encounter Operations: Sharma’s tenure saw him involved in numerous high-profile encounters. In 1999, he led a team that eliminated Vinod Matkar, a close aide of Chhota Rajan tasked with assassinating Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan. The same year, Sharma was also responsible for the killing of D-Company gangster Sadiq Kalia in Dadar.
3. Counterterrorism Efforts: In 2003, Sharma and his team successfully neutralized three suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists in Mumbai’s Goregaon area. Among them were two Pakistani nationals, Abu Sultan and Abu Anwar, highlighting Sharma’s involvement in counterterrorism operations.
4. Controversial Stint: Sharma’s career was marred by controversies, including his dismissal from service in August 2008 over alleged links to the underworld. However, he was reinstated in May 2009 following orders from the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal.
5. Acquittal and Reinstatement: Despite facing legal challenges, Sharma was acquitted in 2013 after serving four years in jail in connection with the alleged fake encounter of Ramnarayan Gupta. Subsequently, he was reinstated and appointed as the head of the Thane Police’s Anti-Extortion Cell in 2017. However, his political ambitions led him to resign in July 2019 to join the undivided Shiv Sena and contest the assembly elections from Nalasopara in Mumbai, which he lost.
6. NIA Arrest: Sharma’s troubles continued in 2021 when he was arrested for the second time by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Antilia explosives scare and the murder of Mansukh Hiran.

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