'Chhota Rajan killed J Dey for calling Dawood don, him chhindi'
NEW DELHI: The CBI has filed a supplementary chargesheet against gangster Chhota Rajan for plotting the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. Rajan was extradited and brought to the country from Indonesia in November last year and he plotted to kill Dey in 2011. Rajan allegedly hatched the plan to kill the scribe after he found out that Dey was writing a book in which he had described Rajan as chhindi (insignificant) and Dawood Ibrahim as don, the CBI said.
The chargesheet against Rajan, which was submitted in a Mumbai court, includes charges under various sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, Arms Act and Bombay Police Act, a top CBI officer said here. The officer said that 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 i t s chargesheet that there was another accused named Ravi Ram Rateshwar, a resident of Tilak Nagar, who is wanted in the case. Rateshwar is accused of distributing 20 global SIM cards to various accused in the case on Rajan’s instruction. He was also a part of the conspiracy to kill journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. The CBI told the court there was ample evidence to show the existence of a crime syndicate and how Rajan succeeded in eliminating Dey with the help of other accused. The agency, however, said that it should be allowed to conduct further investigation and has also asked for the trial to begin in the case.
The court said it wanted to proceed with the framing of charges against Rajan soon and has scheduled the hearing for 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 the CBI.