Saif Ali Khan stabbed: Who is Daya Nayak, encounter specialist on duty to nab Bollywood actor’s attacker?

Saif Ali Khan stabbed: A search operation is underway to nab the attacker who stabbed Saif Ali Khan multiple times at his house in Mumbai on Thursday. The investigation is being led by police officer Daya Nayak, who earned the moniker ‘Encounter Specialist’ after killing 86 criminals over the years.

Daya Nayak’s story of becoming a police officer has been an inspiration to many youngsters.

Saif Ali Khan stabbed in Mumbai

Saif Ali Khan sustained multiple injuries after an intruder attacked him with a knife during an alleged theft attempt at his residence in Bandra on Thursday.

Saif Ali Khan is undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital and is out of danger. The police have begun the investigation, and the search is underway to nab the absconding intruder. 

Police have told news agency PTI that no arrest has been made so far, but the Indian Express reported that a few suspects have been detained in the matter.

Who is Daya Nayak?

Daya Nayak is a 1995 batch policeman who rose to fame by killing several criminals in the encounters, PTI reported. Daya Nayak has also served with the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS).

Daya Nayak earned a massive spotlight in 1996 when he encountered Chota Rajan's gangsters. During that time, he was patrolling Juhu, where he got information about two Chhota Rajan gangsters in the area. 

As soon as Nayak went to arrest the two, they allegedly opened fire at him. Consequentially, Nayak killed both men in his defence, according to Hindustan Times.

Daya Nayak's birth into a humble family

Daya Nayak was born in Karnataka to a financially humble family. During his childhood, he faced many hardships. After moving to Mumbai in 1979, he even had to work as a table cleaner in a hotel.

Seeing potential in Nayak, the hotel owner decided to fund his education, and what transpired has become a motivation for many Bollywood movies and action films.

Daya Nayak joined the police in 1995 and was posted in Juhu in the first year. He became seniors' favourite and quickly rose to fame because of his encounter style, reported HT in a report.

Tables turned when Daya Nayak attracted the Anti-corruption Bureau's scrutiny over his assets and cases in 2004. ACB raids revealed that Daya allegedly owned two fleets of luxury buses and was also indulged in gambling, Hindustan Times reported.