Anushka Mansharamani
On 4th January, the Mumbai Sessions Court sentenced underworld gangster Chhota Rajan whose real name is Rajendra S Nikhalje, and three others in an old extortion case.
The 4 accused were sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment.
Chhota Rajan had extorted Rs. 26 crores from Nandu Vajekar, a Panvel builder.
This case took place in 2015 when Chhota Rajan bought a piece of land from Nandu Vajekar and later indulged in illegal activities.
Chhota Rajan is currently behind the bars and serving a life sentence in Tihar Jail, Delhi. He was convicted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and charged with extortion, criminal conspiracy, murder, and attempt to murder under the Indian Penal Code.
Chhota Rajan was handed over to India in 2015 by the Indonesian authorities after a red corner notice was issued by Interpol.
Chhota Rajan was working for Dawood Ibrahim in 1984, who was a wanted criminal for causing over 75 heinous crimes.
He was arrested in Bali after the notice. Chhota Rajan was traced by Dawood Ibrahim’s men in 2000 but, he escaped.
He was awarded 8 years of rigorous imprisonment in 2019 for the attempt to kill a city-based hotelier, B R Shetty in 2012.
The court further imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakhs on each of them.
Nityanand Nayak, Selvin Daniel, Rohit Thangappan Joseph alias Satish Kalia, Dilip Upadhyay, and Talvinder Singh were also awarded the punishment.
B R Shetty was shot in Andheri, Mumbai by 2 motorcycle-borne shooters who were linked to Chhota Rajan.
As per the investigation, Chhota Rajan had ordered Kalia, a sharp-shooter to kill B R Shetty.
Kalia was in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the death of J Dey and therefore asked Gurudeep Singh, who was wanted in the case, to approach Upadhyay and Talvinder Singh to carry out the killing.
According to the Police Nayak and Daniel helped the shooters identify B R Shetty.
On 3rd October 2012, Upadhyay and Talvinder Singh followed Shetty after he left his office, and then Upadhyay shot him.
The court relied on the confessional statements of the 4 accused while convicting the 6 men.