J Dey murder: Charges against Chhota Rajan to be framed on Jan 19

Charges against underworld don Chhota Rajan will be framed on January 19 in connection with the murder of journalist J Dey.

Charges against underworld don Chhota Rajan will be framed on January 19 in connection with the murder of journalist J Dey, with the gangster produced before court via video conferencing.

Chhota Rajan will be produced before court via video conferencing.(Reuters File Photo)

Special MCOCA judge Anil Pansare on December 22, 2015, issued a production warrant against Rajan, with the court asking the Tihar jail authorities to produce the gangster before the court on Thursday. However, the court was informed that due to a threat to his life, Rajan cannot be produced before the court physically, with the jail authorities also informing the court of the same.

The CBI informed the court that Rajan had also filed an application about threat perception and had asked the court that he should not be taken to Mumbai.

Under these circumstances, Rajan was produced before the court via video conference.

Maharashtra state public prosecutor Dilip Shah said that the court explained to Rajan the status of the case and said that there is an order of the high court to conduct the trial of the case on a day-to-day basis. “The gangster was informed that the central agency has not sought his custody but allowed to continue further investigation. However, the state is asked to serve a charge sheet to him, on the basis of which the court will frame charges against him in the case on January 19,” Shah said.

The gangster has now sought time from the court to appoint a lawyer to conduct the cases in Mumbai. The court has granted him time till January 19.

The CBI had earlier informed a Delhi court that there was a “serious life threat” to Rajan from various underworld mafia groups and intelligence inputs have been received in this regard.

The agency said this in its reply filed on an application moved by the superintendent of Tihar Jail, where Rajan is currently lodged under judicial custody in an alleged fake passport case.