CBI to grill Chhota Rajan in Tihar jail

A special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court last week allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI’s) plea for permission to interrogate former underworld don Chhota Rajan in Delhi’s Tihar jail where he is lodged.

Special judge under the MCOCA Act AT Wankhede allowed the application of the agency made through Special Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat for per mission to interrogate the 60year-old in the high-security jail’s premises. He is presently lodged in Central Jail no. 2 of the prison. Rajan’s advocate had not objected to the plea for interrogation. Rajan had been produced by video conference before the court on the day of the order.

The central agency had said in its plea that it needs to interrogate Rajan in connection with two 2005 cases wherein he is a wanted accused. The court has allowed the interrogation on two days of Aug 19 and Aug 21.

Judge Wankhede has directed the jail superintendent of Tihar jail to per mit the investigation of ficer Sunil Rawat, deputy superintendent of police in the agency’s CBI special crime Unit II, New Delhi to interrogate Rajan on the two dates in the jail premises. The court has further directed necessary arrangements to be made in the jail premises and every precaution to be taken in the pandemic situation.

27 years after he had fled India with 70 cases of extortion, murder and drug smuggling against him, Chhota Rajan had been arrested and deported from Bali, Indonesia in 2015. Thereafter, all cases of the Mumbai police against him were transferred to the CBI and a special court constituted to conduct all matters in which he is an accused.