The first of 71 Chhota Rajan cases referred by Maharashtra govt
The first of 71 Chhota Rajan cases referred by Maharashtra govt
The CBI has taken over investigations in the four-year old murder case of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey in Mumbai, making it first of the 71 cases referred to it by the Maharashtra government involving underworld don Chhota Rajan.
Sources in the agency said the FIR registered by the CBI did not name Rajan as a suspect. “The CBI has re-registered the FIR filed by Maharashtra police, since state police did not name Rajan in its FIR and included his role as an accused only at chargesheet stage”, the sources added. The CBI has already registered a case against Rajan and unknown public servants for allegedly issuing a passport to Rajan with the 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 the assistance of the Interpol in nabbing associates of the underworld don operating in the South East Asian region.
The murder of Mid-Day crime and investigation editor 56-year old Dey was one of the prominent cases in which Rajan’s hand was suspected. Dey was shot dead by motorcycle-borne shooters on June 11, 2011 at 15.30 hours, allegedly at the behest of Rajan. Four persons on two motorbikes fired at least four to five rounds at Dey, who was also riding a bike, from behind near Spectra Building at D Mart in Hiranandani area of Powai. After the attack, he was rushed to nearby Hiranandani hospital where he was declared brought dead. The police had said the shooters fled the spot after firing.
Mumbai Police had filed chargesheet against 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 had also chargesheeted journalist Jigna Vora and another accused Deepak Sisodia in 2012. 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.
After Rajan was nabbed in Bali on an Interpol Red Notice in November last year and brought to Delhi by CBI on December 6, 2015, the Maharashtra government had transferred all the 71 cases against him to the CBI.
