Chhota Rajan to face trial for Mumbai man’s murder he committed 45 years ago from next week
Mumbai city news: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the investigation of all cases against the gangster after his extradition, filed a closure report in the Pareira murder case on July 10
From next week, arrested gangster Chhota Rajan will face trial for a murder he allegedly committed 45 years ago, in February 1983. The murder of fisherman-turned-smuggler John Pareira is the oldest pending murder case against Rajan, who was extradited from Indonesia in November 2015.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the investigation of all cases against the gangster after his extradition, filed a closure report in the Pareira murder case on July 10. In the three-page report, the CBI wrote that it was satisfied with the Mumbai police’s investigation and there was no need to probe the case further.
The court accepted the closure report and asked the prosecution to begin the trial. It scheduled the first hearing for next week after Rajan’s lawyer sought time to study the case papers.
Rajan faces charges of murdering Pareira over a dispute relating to his smuggling business in February 1983. Pereira was killed early morning on February 21,1983 while he on a morning walk at Juhu beach with his daughter Helen and two-year-old son. Rajan was arrested on March 3, 1983, but escaped. He was absconding when three others accused in the case went on trial.
A police source said at the time of the murder, Rajan was an associate of Rajan Nair, aka Bada Rajan, had not made his name in the underworld.
The case is one of 70 others that the CBI took over after Rajan was extradited. A source in the police said it took much effort to dig up the court records and that barely any of their own records had survived the passage of time.
The source added, however, that it could be the strongest of all the cases registered against Rajan.