Chhota Rajan sent to CBI custody for 10 days

New Delhi: Long-absconding underworld don Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan, who was arrested in Indonesia and brought to India, was sent to 10 days custody of the CBI by a court here, officials said on Saturday.

The probe agency booked Rajan and unknown public servants in a fake passport case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case of criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by impersonation, forgery of document under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Apart from these cases, Rajan has also been charged by the agency under the Passport Act, 1967, and separate sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

"It has been alleged that Rajan got prepared an Indian passport in the fake name of Mohan Kumar with an address of Karnataka," said CBI sources.

Sources in the agency also confirmed that Rajan had reached Australia on September 22, 2003 on the strength of the same passport and a tourist visa.

"He later fraudulently obtained several different visas since then and continued to stay in Australia till October 25, 2015," the sources said.

The sources further informed that Rajan was then arrested by Indonesian police in Bali as soon as he landed there on his arrival from Australia on October 25.

"Rajan was arrested following a Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by the Interpol. Subsequently, he was handed over to CBI-Interpol (India) for his deportation to India," the sources said.

The fugitive don was then brought to Delhi on Friday morning in a special aircraft, accompanied by officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation, and Mumbai and Delhi police.

He was taken straight to the CBI headquarters here under tight security.

Rajan is wanted for over 85 crimes, ranging from murder to extortion, smuggling and drug trafficking. Apart from Maharashtra, he has cases against him in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and with the CBI.

Rajan, once a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, parted ways with the latter before the conspiracy for the 1993 Mumbai blasts was hatched.

There was an attempt on Rajan's life in 2000 when Dawood's men tracked him to a hotel in Bangkok but he managed a dramatic escape by jumping from the first floor of the hotel.

Mumbai Police has nearly 75 cases registered against Rajan, including 20 of murder, four cases under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, one under Prevention of Terrorism Act and over 20 cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

The Maharashtra government earlier announced that it has handed over all its cases against Rajan to the CBI.