Court refuses to discharge woman in Chhota Rajan-linked extortion case

Court denies discharge for gangster Habiba Khan in ₹50 lakh extortion case linked to Chhota Rajan gang, ruling sufficient grounds for trial under MCOCA.

MUMBAI: The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has refused to discharge the female gangster Habiba Hussain Khan also known as Didi. The court has also rejected her plea to drop charges against her in a ₹50 lakh extortion case linked to the Chhota Rajan gang.

Gavel and law books (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Special judge NR Pradhan held that “there is sufficient ground for proceeding against the accused” and emphasised that “the law does not permit a mini trial at the stage of discharge”. Rejecting her plea to drop the MCOCA charges and transfer the case to a regular court, the judge further held that there is “sufficient material which attract provisions of MCOC Act against the accused”.

The case stems from a July 2021 FIR registered at the Ghatkopar police station, in which a builder alleged that he received repeated threats to his life along with a demand for ₹50 lakh and the transfer of two flats. The police alleged that the extortion calls were made by Yusuf Suleman Kadri also known as Yusuf Bachkana, the main accused and an alleged associate of the Chhota Rajan gang. According to the police, Khan facilitated the operation by sharing the victim’s contact details and gathering information about his Panvel project.

At the time, the police had claimed that the racket was being run through associates of the Chhota Rajan syndicate, including people linked to gangster DK Rao, an associate of Rajan.

The court’s verdict relied on material in the chargesheet including allegations that Khan supplied the Ghatkopar-based builder’s phone number to the main accused, she collected the victim’s visiting cards from her residence, and her confession recorded under the MCOCA. Addressing the defence argument that the confession had been retracted, the court ruled that whether it is admissible or reliable “cannot be decided at this stage”, and must be examined during trial.

With both applications rejected, the case will now proceed to trial under MCOCA. The court made it clear that issues relating to the sanction, admissibility of confessional statements, and the value of evidence will be decided only after the trial.