Chhota Rajan's Life Sentence Suspended

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday suspended the life sentence of notorious gangster Chhota Rajan in connection with the 2001 murder of hotelier Jaya Shetty in Mumbai. However, Rajan will remain in jail due to his involvement in other ongoing criminal cases.

Bail Granted

A division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan granted Chhota Rajan bail, instructing him to submit a bond of ₹1 lakh. This decision comes after Rajan appealed against his conviction in the murder case. Despite the suspension of his life sentence in this particular case, the gangster will stay behind bars.

Conviction in Hotelier’s Murder

In May, a special court had convicted Chhota Rajan of orchestrating the murder of Jaya Shetty, the owner of the Golden Crown Hotel in Gamdevi, Mumbai. Shetty was shot dead on May 4, 2001, allegedly by two members of Rajan’s gang on the first floor of his hotel. Rajan's appeal sought a suspension of this sentence and interim bail, leading to the court's recent decision.

Investigations revealed that Jaya Shetty had been receiving extortion threats from Hemant Pujari, a member of Chhota Rajan's gang. His refusal to pay the extortion demands is believed to have led to his murder.

Rajan’s Criminal History

Chhota Rajan, also known as Rajendra Nikalje, is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of veteran crime journalist J Dey. He is incarcerated in Delhi's Tihar Jail and has several criminal cases pending against him.

Last year, Rajan was acquitted in the high-profile 1997 murder of Mumbai trade union leader Dr. Datta Samant. A special CBI court cleared Rajan due to insufficient evidence, stating no substantial proof was presented to establish his involvement in the conspiracy.

Rajan was arrested in Indonesia in 2015 and subsequently brought back to India. All pending cases against him were transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies