CBI yet to Get Details of Chhota Rajan’s Many Cases

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) As underworld don Rajendra Sadashiv Nikhalje alias Chhota Rajan cools his heels in CBI custody, details of his alleged involvement in over 85 cases registered in different states are yet to be provided to the central agency.

While Rajan was involved in over 85 criminal cases of murder, extortion, smuggling and drug trafficking in Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat - including 69 cases in Maharashtra alone - the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has only a fake passport case on the basis of which he has been put in CBI custody.

The central agency booked Rajan on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, impersonation and forgery under the Passport Act and Prevention of Corruption Act. He is at present in a 10-day CBI custody.

Mumbai police faced acute embarrassment on November 5 when the Maharashtra government officially declared to hand over all its cases against Rajan to the CBI.

"Our officials are in constant touch with the top brass of Mumbai police and other states' police officials regarding cases against Rajan. But we are yet to get any document to investigate all cases against him," a CBI source told IANS.

"Now, our officials are investigating only the case in which Rajan has been booked by us," said the source.

Officials said they were still awaiting the documents pertaining to the home ministry and department of personnel and training orders on the probe into all cases against the don.

On the other hand, Mumbai police said the decision to transfer cases to the CBI had brought all their efforts to a nought.

"We had begun to look for case papers and even witnesses in old cases since cases registered between 1980-90 are difficult to locate; but with the government's decision to transfer the cases to the CBI, all those efforts have gone in vain," a Mumbai police official said.

Chhota Rajan, 55, was deported to New Delhi on November 6, after his arrest in Bali on October 25.

Sources said Rajan got an Indian passport (No. G9273860) made in the name of one Mohan Kumar, resident of 107/B, Old M.C. Road, Azad Nagar, Mandya in Karnataka. The passport was made in Harare in Zimbabwe on September 22, 2003. The CBI is now probing this case.

The CBI registered the case against Rajan on October 31, before its team proceeded to Bali in Indonesia to get him deported to India.