Mumbai: Special CBI court refuses to close murder case against Chhota Rajan

The court observed the fact that witnesses had turned hostile against other accused in the case during their separate trials was not sufficient to accept the closure report against the gangster.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court recently rejected the closure report filed by the probing agency seeking to close a March 2005 murder case against Chhota Rajan. The court observed the fact that witnesses had turned hostile against other accused in the case during their separate trials was not sufficient to accept the closure report against the gangster.

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According to the prosecution case, the assailants had entered the shop of the deceased, Sanjay Gupta, in March 2005 and fired shots at him. The victim later succumbed to the bullet injuries.

The CBI investigating officer had filed a closure report claiming that some material witnesses such as the brother and wife of the victim and some other key witnesses were not reliable and trustworthy. The officer also claimed that mere business rivalry cannot be taken as strong motive for committing the murder.

The agency had pointed out that during the trial of the previously arrested accused, these witnessed had turned hostile and did not support the prosecution case.

The special court, however, refused to accept the plea. “The statements of the witnesses clearly point out involvement of accused Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan, Pradeep Madgaonkar alias Bandya Mama, Sunil Kadam and others in the offence,” said the court.

“The fact that the witnesses turned hostile in the trial held against the arrested accused is not sufficient to accept the report of the IO (investigating officer) of CBI,” the court said, adding, “There is sufficient material against the accused.”

The court also said that whether the witnesses are reliable and trustworthy can only be tested at the trial.

Gupta’s brother and wife had claimed that Pradeep Madgaonkar alias Bandya Mama was a cable service provider and his business was named Abhay Vision. They claimed Madgaonkar was trying to takeover their cable connections.

Madgaonkar was annoyed after the deceased formed a group of cable operators against Chhota Rajan and his aides. And, in order to gain supremacy in the area, Madgaonkar, Chhota Rajan and his organised crime syndicate allegedly got Gupta killed.

The Mumbai Police had arrested Nilesh alias Shripad Padalkar, Rajesh Bhosale and Baliram Vaidya alias Kolhya in connection with the murder. During the probe, Santosh Khandu Bhosale alias Junun, Sandesh Kamble alias Doctor, Jayant Rajaram Mule, Madgaonkar, Sunil Kadam, Bhagwant Singh Thakur alias Bharat Nepali, Kiran Dhokare alias Balu, Chhota Rajan and one Raju were shown as wanted accused.

While seeking closure of the case against Rajan, CBI had pointed out that Padalkar, Bhosale and Kolhya were acquitted in May 2011 as all the witnesses, including the wife and brother of the deceased, turned hostile.

Besides, the police later arrested Doctor, who was then discharged from the case in November 2016. The trial against Bhosale and Mule is still pending before the special court.