(MOREPIC1) Face2News/Mumbai
The Ld. Special Judge, MCOCA Court, Mumbai on Thursday sentenced to Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan to Life Imprisonment with fine of Rs. 16 lakh in Shri Jaya Sesu Shetty Murder Case.
In pursuant to notifications issued by Govt. of Maharashtra and Govt. of India, 71 cases pertaining to Chhota Rajan were transferred to CBI for investigation including case pertaining to murder of hotelier Jaya Shetty.
This case was initially registered by Gamdevi Police Station, Mumbai under sections of IPC and Arms Act. It was alleged in the FIR that, two unknown persons entered the premises of Hotel Golden Crown Mumbai and fired at the owner of hotel Jaya Sesu Shetty, as he had failed to meet the extortion demand.
(SUBHEAD)Mumbai Police had filed a charge-sheet before the Special MCOCA Court, Mumbai against three accused persons 1) Ajay Suresh Mohite alias Ajay Surajbhan Shreshtha alias Ajay Nepali alias Chickna, 2) Pramod alias Bala Ramesh Donde and 3) Rahul Pansare. In the said charge-sheet, four accused persons i.e. Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan, Hemant Ramana Pujari, Kundan Singh Narsingh Rawat and Sameer Ashok Manek were shown as wanted accused. Later on, wanted accused Kundan Singh Narsingh Rawat was killed in an encounter with Police. Another wanted accused Sameer Ashok Manek was arrested and supplementary charge-sheet was filed against him.
After taking over investigation, CBI filed Supplementary Charge-Sheet on 28.02.2019 against accused Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan before the Ld. MCOCA Court, Mumbai and accused Hemant Pujari alias Ravi Pujari was shown as wanted accused. During course of investigation, CBI was able to trace and examine other reliable/relevant witnesses including ex-member of Chhota Rajan Gang apart from other witnesses cited by local Police. The dossiers of other co-accused collected by CBI also proved that they all belong to the organized crime syndicate led by Chhota Rajan. On the basis of evidence collected during investigation, CBI was able to prove beyond doubt that heinous crime of murder of Hotel Owner Jaya Shetty was committed on the instructions of accused Chhota Rajan as head of Organized Crime Syndicate. Further during course of trial, all efforts were made to ensure deposition of witness without any fear.
As original complaints, filed by victim Jaya Shetty and his son with various police authorities in Mumbai regarding threatening calls for extortion received from Chhota Rajan and his gang members, were not available, hence certified copies of the same filed in Hon’ble High Court were procured and same were got proved in court.
This is second case investigated by CBI pertaining to Chhota Rajan, in which he has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Earlier, in the year 2018, accused Chhota Rajan was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in J Dey Murder Case, investigated by CBI. Apart from this, he was also convicted in three other cases investigated by CBI pertaining to extortion and attempt to murder and in those three cases, he was convicted and sentenced to Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) of 10 years, 8 years and 2 years under various sections of IPC and MCOCA.
