J Dey murder: CBI starts questioning Chhota Rajan in Tihar

The CBI on Thursday started the interrogation of deported gangster Chhota Rajan in the Tihar Central prison in connection with the murder case of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. Sources said the agency team reached Tihar Jail, where Rajan is lodged after being deported from Indon-esia, and started questioning him after completing necessary formalities.

They said Rajan’s questioning in the case is likely to continue for at least 10 days. A special MCOCA court in Mumbai has granted the CBI permission to interrogate Rajan in the case. The CBI recently registered an FIR to probe the J. Dey murder case, making it first of the 71 cases referred to the agency by the Mahar-ashtra government inv-olving Chhota Rajan. Rajan is facing around 71 cases in Mahar-ashtra, which includes the J. Dey murder case.

Special judge A.L. Pansare had allowed the CBI to question 54-year-old Rajan for 10 days starting January 27 before adjourning the case till February 5.

The murder of Mid-Day crime and investigation editor was one of the prominent cases in which Rajan’s hand was suspected. Dey, 56, was killed by motorcycle-borne shoo-ters on June 11, 2011 at 3.30 pm, allegedly at the behest of Rajan. Four persons on two motorcycles fired at least four-to-five rounds at Dey, who was also riding a bike.

The Mumbai police had filed chargesheet against Chhota Rajan and his aide Nayan Singh Bisht, shown as absconding, Rohee Thangappan Joseph alias Satish Kalya, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Vinod Asrani, Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodia under MCOCA charges in 2011. The police said Rajan, who was upset with two articles written by Dey that purportedly portrayed him in bad light, is suspected to have ordered his elimination.

The CBI has already registered a case against Rajan and unknown public servants for allegedly issuing a passport to Rajan with fake identity of Mohan Kumar in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 2003, where he was hiding after escaping from Bangkok following an attempt on his life in the year 2000 by Dawood Ibrahim’s hitmen. The CBI is also preparing to take assistance of the Interpol in nabbing associates of the mafia don operating in the south-east Asian region.