NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against underworld gangster Chhota Rajan for plotting the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. The gangster Rajan was extradited and brought to the country from Indonesia in November last year and he plotted to kill the Dey in 2011.
The charge sheet was filed under various sections of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, Arms Act and Bombay police Act in a Mumbai court, top CBI officer said in the national capital.
The officer said that there are 41 witness statements were recorded in the case. Rajan appeared before the court through a video conference from Tihar jail in Delhi.
The agency said in its chargesheet that there is another accused named Ravi Ram Rateshwar, a resident of Tilak Nagar who is wanted in the case. Rateshwar is accused of providing 20 global SIM cards to various accused in the case from Rajan's instruction. He was also part of the conspiracy to kill journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.
CBI before the court said that there is ample evidence against the accused to show the connivance, the existence of crime syndicate and how accused Rajan succeeded to eliminate Dey with the help of other accused. The agency, however, said that that they should be allowed to conduct further investigations especially concerning the wanted accused and have also asked for the trial to begin in the case.
The court wanted to proceed with the framing of charges against Rajan soon and wanted to keep it for hearing next week. However the investigating officer of the case N R Meena said, “At least give us time to go to Delhi and come back. It takes four days”. Considering this, the court kept the next date of hearing on August 12.
In January this year, the agency took over the investigations and registered an FIR to probe the role of gangster. The CBI had registered the FIR against Rajan under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention), along with the Arms Act.
Rajan alleged to be the main conspirator on whose behest Dey was gunned down in broad daylight by two bike-borne sharpshooters in June 2011. The Mumbai police had filed a chargesheet against Rajan, who was absconding at that time, and his men under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act on December 3, 2011.
It was alleged that Rajan was upset with Dey's stories against him and allegedly hatched a plan to kill him. The Mumbai crime branch arrested 10 people, including journalist Jigna Vora. She is currently out on bail.
In the earlier chargesheet that had been filed by the Mumbai crime branch, a person named Bisht was shown as wanted. After Chhota Rajan was brought in from Bali, the case was transferred to CBI.