Manya Surve: The Underworld Don Dawood Was Also Afraid Of

Police encounters in India have been a controversial issue for many years. These encounters, which are sometimes known as “encounter killings” or “fake encounters,” involve police officers employing lethal force against people who are thought to be involved in criminal activity. However, the first encounter killing in India involved Manya Surve, a notorious gangster from Mumbai. And was one of the most well-known police encounters. His encounter even sparked a heated debate on the use of force by the police and the legality of such actions.

While there have been cases of real encounters, there have also allegedly been manufactured confrontations and extrajudicial murders. Raising concerns about human rights abuses and police authority abuse.

Surve was not only known for his criminal activities but also for being highly educated. However, he became the first gangster to be killed in a police encounter, making the incident one of the most infamous in the history of encounter killings in India.

However, the story behind Manya Surve’s infamy goes beyond just movies. So, let’s find out everything about Manya Surve and his encounter:

Who was Manya Surve?

Manya Surve, also known as Manohar Arjun Surve, was a well-known “Indian Underworld Don” in Bombay. He was one of the most educated criminals and well-known for taking on and dismantling pre-existing gangs.

His first steps in the crime world

Manya Surve was a young graduate from Kirti College when he was falsely accused of murder and imprisoned in Yerwada Jail. Despite being innocent, Surve was sentenced and incarcerated for his alleged crime. He formed a notorious gang that quickly rose to prominence in the criminal underworld.

The Pathans, who had long dominated the underworld, eventually sought Surve’s help in killing the Kaskar brothers, Dawood and Shabbir, who were the leaders of a rival gang known as D-Company and spoke the Konkani language.

However, Manya was apprehended, charged with the crime, and given an age-related jail term. He was taken to Pune’s “Yerwada Prison” after receiving his sentence in this case, where he only spent additional time incarcerated. The Yerwada Prison management became unhappy and sent him to “Ratnagiri Jail” because of his fear there.

Manya Surve movies

The character of Manya Surve in Bollywood is also very famous. In the movie Shootout at Wadala, his character was played by John Abraham and is remembered by many. Interestingly, other popular Bollywood movies like Agneepath (1990) starring Amitabh Bachchan and Agneepath (2012) featuring Hrithik Roshan also portrayed the character of Manya Surve, highlighting his notoriety and influence in the criminal underworld.

Manya Surve encounter

Once Shabir Ibrahim was killed, Surve’s other accomplices gradually started to disappear. As soon as Surve became aware of this, he withdrew. On November 14, 1979, the hospitalized survey avoided capture and made it to Bombay.

He reorganized his organization after he arrived in Bombay, and several powerful gang members, including the legendary Robar of the time, joined him. Following it, this group committed several theft and robbery events. When Manya Surve’s fear grew, concerns about Mumbai’s law and order and the police’s performance began to surface.

Following then, the hunt for Manya Surve began. One by one, the cops began detaining his companions. Using Vidya Joshi, Manya Surve’s girlfriend, as a conduit, the police were able to trap him. On January 11, 1982, Manya arrived to pick up his sweetheart from a salon close to “Ambedkar College” in Wadala during a protracted police hideout. The cops learned about it.

The Mumbai Police Assistant Commissioner Isaque Bagwan’s squad arrived at the scene as soon as the information was received. During this, Isaque’s team killed Manya Surve in the encounter.

Notably, it was the first police encounter in independent India, and Isaque Bagwan became the first police officer to execute the encounter.