Chhota Rajan’s fingerprints taken ‘secretly’ in Australia
NEW DELHI: Mumbai gangster Chhota Rajan’s countdown began a few months ago when Indian security agencies managed to secretly procure his fingerprint samples that confirmed his identity when he was staying in New Castle, Australia, a senior government official said.
The fingerprints helped security agencies confirm that the Indian national who had a passport issued in the name of Mohan Kumar, was Chhota Rajan.
“In coordination with other security agencies, the CBI managed to secretly obtain Chhota Rajan’s fingerprints when he was hiding in Australia, without him knowing about it,” said the source. “The fingerprints were procured after the CBI learnt during an Interpol meet held six months ago that Rajan might be staying in Australia and the search zeroed in on a man staying there with an Indian passport using the name of Mohan Kumar.
The samples were confirmed with Interpol records which had the 1995 Red Corner Notice,” said the source. Rajan was absconding since 1988.
Rajan had arrived in Australia in September 2003 from Zimbabwe using the passport in the name of Kumar on a tourist visa. The source claimed that Rajan’s stay in Australia since 2003 stayed undetected until six months ago when it got the first clue on his whereabouts and cover identity.
Rajan was brought to Delhi on Friday morning in a chartered flight and taken to the CBI headquarter under heavy security. He was later placed under arrest on a charge of fraudulently obtaining an Indian passport in Kumar’s name. A Delhi court has remanded him in CBI custody for 10 days. CBI is set to take over the probe in 81 cases registered against him in Maharashtra and Delhi.
Security officers interrogating Rajan told HT that Rajan had stayed in Australia as it allowed him to stay close to South-East Asia, where his crime network was “strong and intact”. He had already managed a “residency” status in Autralia and was trying to get it extended.