India, July 30 -- Senior police inspector Daya Nayak, who gained recognition as an "encounter specialist" in the 1990s, was promoted to assistant commissioner of police on Tuesday, two days before his retirement. Nayak, who heads Unit 9 of the Mumbai crime branch, is scheduled to retire on July 31.

Along with Nayak, senior inspectors Jeevan Kharat, Deepak Dalvi, and Pandurang Pawar, who are also set to retire on Thursday, were promoted too.

Nayak, who joined the force in 1995 as an officer at the Juhu police station, gained recognition for gunning down several gangsters in police encounters. He has shot around 87 gangsters, including criminals linked to the likes of Dawood Ibrahim, Arun Gawli, Amar Naik and Chhota Rajan. His career has ...