Once a lawyer for gangsters, he is now a favourite with the police

He is a favourite with investigating agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Terrorism Squad.

He is a favourite with investigating agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Terrorism Squad.

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Advocate Raja Thakare came into the limelight when he appeared as special public prosecutor for CBI in the securities scam involving ‘Big Bull’ Harsh-ad Mehta and his brother Ashwin.

Thakare (57), who graduated from Ramnarayan Ruia College, Matunga, in 1973 mainly practices criminal law. He was the special public prosecutor in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam orchestrated by Abdul Karim Telgi. The scam is considered to be one of the biggest nationwide rackets involving senior police officers and politicians from across the country.

Before switching over to the fighting for prosecuting agencies, he had defended members of the Chhota Rajan gang.

He now appears for the crime branch of the Mumbai police, the CBI and the ATS in several high-profile cases. His current case portfolio includes the July 2006 train blasts, the cases involving Indian Mujahideen members.

Thakare is also defending former State Reserve Police Force sub-inspector, Manohar Kadam, who was convicted for firing on a Dalit mob at Ramabai Nagar in Ghatkopar in 1997, killing 10.