59th AAA with Guest Author IsaqueBagwan in conversation with Dinesh Vajpai
Action thrillers always appeal to the audience but real-life action is far more attractive than the tinsel version. It was a thrilling Author’s Afternoon session at The Souk, Taj Bengal, with top ex-cop IsaqueBagwan. The entire session was pickled with interesting anecdotes from his life experience as a top cop who spent over three-and-half decades combating crime.
Right from the start Bagwan fired from all cylinders. He narrated incidents which gave the audience goosebumps. He started his stint in the Mumbai Police at a time when the dark underbelly of Bombay, with dons like Haji Mastan, Karim Lala, Dawood Ibrahim and others had carved out areas of influence.
He was the first officer to shoot at and apprehend a criminal during a sessions court proceeding. He was thrice awarded the prestigious President’s Police Medal for bravery. Conversationalist Dinesh Vajpai, a seasoned retired police officer, put forth three questions which set the tone of Bagwan’s narrative.
The 26/11 Mumbai attack was the highpoint of Bagwan’s career when he was in action for over sixteen hours, supported by a dozen cops. Bagwan was in-charge of Nariman House, which bore the brunt of the attack, his presence of mind saved over a hundred lives.
Bagwan’s narrative was straight like his ramrod profile. He minced no words when he revealed the nexus between politicians and gangsters. Bagwan, who did not spare corrupt bureaucrats, IAS officers and others with political patronage during his illustrious career, gained respects as incorruptible officer. His book “Me against the Mumbai Underworld” is a portrayal of Mumbai’s gangdom from the horse’s mouth.
