Chhota Rajan brought to Delhi, in CBI custody

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Nov o6:  Chhota Rajan, one of India’s most wanted criminals, was brought to Delhi this morning after being deported from Indonesia, where he was arrested last week. The gangster, who has evaded the police in several countries for over two decades, ’kissed the ground’ after stepping off the plane, said reports.

 

Here are 10 developments in the story:

Rajan, whose real name is Rajendra Nikalje, is wanted for over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug trafficking in India, mainly Mumbai.

The gangster is in CBI custody and will be in Delhi, not Mumbai, where he faces most cases.

A special plane sent by New Delhi to bring Rajan arrived at around 5 am. Nearly 45 minutes later, he was taken to the CBI headquarters in a convoy that included heavily-armed escort vans, a SWAT team, commandos and also a decoy car to ward off the media.

Rajan is expected to be formally arrested after being produced in court. He will also go through a medical check; sources say he has a kidney ailment.

The gangster had been living incognito in Australia, but fearing his enemies would find him, was able to fly to Bali where he was arrested on October 25, without resistance, according to news reports.

Rajan’s return was delayed as a volcanic eruption near Bali had disrupted flights and forced the airport to shut down.

Rajan has reportedly conveyed to Indian officials that he fears for his life in Mumbai and faces threats from underworld don and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, his former boss turned enemy.

He has said that "some in the Mumbai police" have links with Dawood Ibrahim. "The Mumbai Police has done a lot of ’atyachar’ (atrocities) on me...Some in the Mumbai Police are mixed up with Dawood," he had told reporters in Bali.

Rajan was a loyal lieutenant in Dawood’s notorious organised crime group known as "D-Company", one of several underworld outfits that had a grip on Mumbai in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1995, Interpol put out a notice saying Rajan was wanted for multiple charges including murder and possession and use of illegal firearms.