India, Jan. 26 -- The dusty paths of Dalal Street hide stories that are stranger than fiction, but few episodes capture the imagination like the stock market battle of 1982, a clash between Reliance Industries and a formidable bear cartel that brought the Bombay Stock Exchange to a cramped halt for three trading days. In an age long before algorithmic flash crashes and rapid electronic trading, this high-stakes drama unfolded in crowded trading pits and brokers' lounges, leaving an indelible mark on Indian markets and giving birth to legends whispered across generations of investors.

Delta Exchange banner A Market Still Learning Its Own Rules In the early 1980s, the Indian stock market was a very different place. Transactions were execut...