In Focus by The Hindu In Focus-Weekend | Inside Mumbai’s battle against the underworld w/ D. Sivanandhan IPS (Retd.)
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Nov 30, 2025 D. Sivanandhan, a retired IPS officer and former Mumbai Police Commissioner, dives into the gritty history of Mumbai’s underworld. He shares gripping stories from the gangster era, including the rise of notorious figures like Dawood Ibrahim. Sivanandhan discusses the critical legal tool MCOCA, which revolutionized police tactics, and sheds light on the challenges of policing organized crime. He even reveals the links between the mafia and terrorism, along with Bollywood's vulnerable ties to gangsters. His insights unveil a complex battle for control in the city.
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Decades-Long Rise Of Gangsterism
- Mumbai's gangster violence escalated over decades, peaking from the 1980s to early 2000s with widespread bloodletting.
- D. Sivanandhan argues only a major, sustained strategy (not small tactics) could dismantle that entrenched malady.
Encounters Alone Didn't End Crime
- Encounters were used heavily in the 1990s but did not end gangsterism; legal and institutional measures did.
- Sivanandhan stresses that encounters alone weren't the decisive factor in ending organised crime.
Use Detention Laws Strategically
- Use preventive detention laws intensively to disrupt organised crime networks before trials conclude.
- Build meticulous evidence and administrative processes so detentions survive judicial scrutiny and reduce gangster activity.