Pradip Sawant

Pradip Sawant (born 1962) is an Indian Police Officer, currently serving as the DCP Security Branch in Mumbai Police. He is a recipient of the President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2002. He was behind more than 300 encounters in Mumbai during his stint as DCP (Detection Crime Branch) between the years 2000 and 2003.

He was suspended in 2004 for his alleged involvement in Telgi stamp paper scam, but was reinstated in 2009, and posted as DCP ATS Mumbai, after he was found innocent in June 2007.

Early life and education
He completed his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai. He was selected as a Dy.Sp in Maharashtra Police through MPSC exam, in 1986. He is said to have topped his batch at the Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik, reported by Outlook India.

Career
Sawant was instrumental in breaking the back of several underworld gangs including Chhota Shakeel, Chhota Rajan, Ashwin Naik, Arun Gawli between 1998 and 2003 following a spurt in gangland shoot-outs in 1998.

He also detected the murder case of Bharat Shah, Owner of Roopam chain stores who was shot dead by Dawood gang in 1998.

He was responsible for arresting gangsters, affiliated to Chhota Shakeel (Dawood gang) for attempted murder on Milind Vaidya, former Mayor of Mumbai in March 1999; in the attack, 3 people were killed and 7 others including Vaidya were seriously injured.

In December 1999, his team arrested three alleged terrorists who had abetted the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight 814 from Kathmandu in Nepal. Pradip Sawant had formed special squads that arrested 486 alleged gangsters and shot dead 156 criminals in encounters.

Controversy
In January 2004, Sawant was booked under MCOCA and suspended for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Abdul Karim Telgi fake stamp paper scam. On 27 June 2007, he along with Mumbai Police Commissioner RS Sharma, was discharged by the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court in Pune in the fake stamps and stamp papers case for lack of evidence.

Awards and recognition

 * He was conferred with the President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2002.
 * He received the Deepak Jog Memorial trophy for the Best Investigating Officer for the year 2000.
 * On 12 June 1998, Sawant gets the Best Crime Detection Award from Gopinath Munde, Deputy CM of Maharashtra at the Police Club, Mumbai.

In popular culture
The 1999 Bollywood film Sarfarosh starring Aamir Khan is said to be inspired by Pradip Sawant. Often the character of ACP Ajay Singh Rathod, which was played by Aamir Khan in the film Sarfarosh is closely associated with Sawant.