The shadow of Mumbai's violent gangland past has returned with the transfer of one of its most notorious shooters. Subhash Singh Thakur, a key accused in the infamous 1992 Sir J.J. Hospital firing case, has been brought back to Maharashtra from a prison in Uttar Pradesh. His return has reignited memories of an era when gang wars spilled onto the streets and into hospital wards.
The Notorious Past: From Varanasi to Mumbai's Underworld
Now in his 60s, Subhash Singh Thakur hails from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, where he was allegedly involved in criminal cases as early as the 1980s. His journey into the heart of Mumbai's underworld began when he came into contact with Kim Bahadur Thapa, a gangster-turned-Shiv Sena corporator with links to the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate. Thakur first made his mark by allegedly playing a pivotal role in the 1989 murder of Paul Newman, a close associate of rival gangster Arun Gawli.
His notoriety, however, was cemented by the events of September 1992. According to his own recorded statements, Thakur was summoned to Bombay by gangster Sunil Sawant. He was informed that a man accused of killing Dawood Ibrahim's brother-in-law was admitted to J.J. Hospital and was to be eliminated. The plan was audacious: enter the hospital, hold police guards at gunpoint, and carry out the killing inside the ward.
The JJ Hospital Shootout and Its Aftermath
In the early hours of September 12, 1992, Thakur and his associates reached the hospital. Thakur was armed with a 9 mm pistol, while others carried an arsenal including AK-47 rifles. When police shut the ward door, Thakur sensed the plan was failing and urged a retreat. A fierce gunfight erupted inside the hospital premises.
The aftermath was brutal. Apart from the primary target, Shailesh Haldankar, who was handcuffed to his cot, two policemen—Head Constable Gajanan Javsen and Constable Kawalsingh Bhanawat—were also killed. Thakur fled Mumbai soon after, traveling through Vasai to Delhi and then to other hideouts.
In 2000, a designated TADA court in Mumbai sentenced Thakur to death for his role in the shootout. This sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court. Despite his conviction in Mumbai, Thakur managed to get himself shifted to Uttar Pradesh prisons on transit remand for over a decade, arguing that returning to Maharashtra posed a threat to his life from Dawood Ibrahim's gang.
The Transformation to 'Baba' and Recent Custody
The man who survived multiple gang wars has undergone a stark physical transformation. He is now called 'Baba', sports a long beard, and is often seen wearing a white bandana. For nearly five years, he remained admitted in a hospital in Varanasi, claiming a serious kidney ailment, until a medical panel concluded hospitalization was no longer necessary.
Police investigations suggest that from Uttar Pradesh, Thakur continued to exert influence, summoning builders and businessmen from Mumbai to threaten and extort money, eventually establishing a foothold in parts of the Thane district. His return to Maharashtra now is in connection with the 2022 murder of a Vasai-based builder.
On Tuesday, December 17, 2025, a Thane court remanded him to police custody till December 22. Retired senior police officers note that Thakur was always keen to remain in Uttar Pradesh, where it was easier for him to operate than under the close watch of the Maharashtra police. His return marks a significant chapter in the long and bloody history of Mumbai's underworld, a ghost from the past brought back to face the law.
