Salaskar to hunt down gangsters

MUMBAI: Gangsters are once again on the radar of encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar.
The police officer has been transferred out of the anti-robbery squad and put in familiar terrain, the anti-extortion cell. Extortion is one of the main businesses of the underworld and Salaskar has gunned down around 60 suspects, most of them gangsters.
While some police sources said Salaskar’s presence in the AEC would boost efforts to keep the mafia in check, others were of the opinion that the transfer would not help the crime branch much, as the number of extortion threats from the underworld had drastically fallen.Petty criminals, they add, have taken to the crime.
It was, though, pointed out that the Hemant Pujari, Ravi Pujari and Ejaz Lakdawala gangs were still active in the city and Salaskar had the experience to deal with them.
The transfer is part of a shuffle in the city police’s crime branch. Commissioner of police D N Jadhav has given the green signal to joint commissioner of police (crime) Rakesh Maria to effect the transfers. Maria has submitted a proposal on the shuffle.
Assistant police inspector Prafulla Phadke will take over Salaskar’s job as head of the anti-robbery squad.