A special court in Mumbai has sentenced gangster Chhota Rajan to life imprisonment for the murder of hotelier Jaya Shetty in 2001, more than six years after he received a similar sentence for the killing of journalist J Dey.
Special judge for cases under the Maharashtra Control Of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), AM Patil, found Rajan guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and provisions of MCOCA. Following the conviction, the court sentenced the gangster, currently incarcerated at Tihar jail in Delhi, to rigorous imprisonment for life and imposed a fine of Rs 16 lakh on him.
Rajan’s Arrest and Extradition
In October, 2015, Rajan, also known as Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, was apprehended by Indonesian police before being extradited from Bali to India. He had been on the run for nearly three decades and was believed to have been a former right-hand man of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Rajan has now been convicted in seven cases, including six in Mumbai, according to special public prosecutor (SPP) Pradeep Gharat.
In 2018, a special MCOCA court sentenced Rajan to life imprisonment for the murder of senior crime journalist J Dey.
Details of Jaya Shetty’s Murder
Jaya Shetty, owner of the Golden Crown Hotel in central Mumbai, was shot dead on May 4, 2001, on the hotel’s first floor. According to the prosecution, the murder was carried out by members of an organised crime syndicate headed by Rajan.
One Ajay Mohite, accompanied by Kundansingh Rawat of the syndicate, shot Shetty. Though Rawat managed to escape, he was later reported dead.
Conspiracy and Involvement of Other Accused
Investigations revealed that Pramod Dhonde, Rahul Pansare, and Sameer Manik conspired to kill Jaya Shetty at the behest of gangsters Hemant Poojari and Rajan.
Before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case, Mumbai police had invoked stringent provisions of MCOCA due to multiple cases involving Rajan and Poojari.
During Rajan’s trial, the prosecution presented 32 witnesses, including the victim’s sons. SPP Gharat highlighted the shooter’s capture, the confessions of co-accused, and extortion threats from Rajan to the victim’s family as crucial aspects relied upon by the prosecution.
Jaya Shetty’s sons provided strong testimony against Rajan in court. One of them testified that his father was shot by two individuals at their Golden Crown Hotel and that they had been receiving extortion threats since 1999.
Poojari, still an absconding accused, claimed responsibility for the murder and extortion calls on Rajan’s orders. In a separate trial, shooter Mohite was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004.
While Dhonde and Pansare were acquitted of murder, they received five years’ imprisonment for extortion. Manik, initially on the run, was acquitted in 2008. Rajan, already serving life imprisonment for the murder of J Dey in 2011, remains incarcerated at Tihar jail in Delhi.
