Chhota Rajan gets bail in 2001 hotelier murder case

Rajan filed an appeal in the HC against the conviction. He sought that the sentence be suspended and he be granted bail in the interim

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday suspended the life sentence of gangster Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan in the 2001 murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty. The High Court has granted him bail only in this particular case. A detailed copy of the order is yet to be made available.

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A Division Bench of judges comprising Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj K. Chavan granted Rajan bail on the grounds of furnishing a bond of ₹1 lakh with one or more sureties for bail. In May 2024, a special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) had sentenced the gangster life imprisonment. Rajan had appealed in the High Court against the conviction and sought that the sentence to be suspended. He had appealed the High Court to grant him interim bail.

The Bench on Wednesday said, “Execution of sentences allowed by the special court in the MCOCA case stands suspended pending the appeal.”

Rajan, will, however, continue to remain in prison in other criminal cases. He was earlier convicted for the murder of veteran crime journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, he is serving life term in this case and is lodged in Tihar jail currently.

Rajan is also serving jail sentences in other cases like of Jaya Shetty murder case. Shetty who was the owner of the Golden Crown hotel in South Mumbai, was allegedly facing extortion threats from Rajan’s gang. Following that Mumbai police had provided Shetty security cover, however, the same was withdrawn exactly two months prior to his murder.

Shetty was shot dead by two alleged members of Rajan’s gang on the hotel’s first floor on May 4, 2001.

Published - October 23, 2024 12:13 pm IST