Gangster Chhota Rajan's life imprisonment sentence suspended, granted bail
The Bombay High Court has granted bail to notorious gangster Chhota Rajan (real name Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje) in the 2001 murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty. The division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan has asked him to submit a bond of ₹1 lakh for bail. The court has also suspended his life sentence, which was awarded in May. However, Rajan will remain behind bars due to his involvement in other cases.
Rajan's conviction and sentence in Shetty's murder
A special court convicted Rajan for Shetty's murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment in May 2024. The crime was committed on May 4, 2001, at the Golden Crown Hotel in central Mumbai, where Shetty was gunned down by two members of Rajan's gang. Investigations revealed that Shetty had been receiving extortion demands from Hemant Pujari, a member of Rajan's gang, and was killed for not complying.
Rajan's extensive criminal history and current incarceration
Rajan is a notorious underworld don and has around 70 cases registered against him in Maharashtra. He is also serving a second life sentence for the 2011 murder of journalist J Dey. Rajan was arrested from Bali airport in Indonesia on October 25, 2015, and was deported to India. Since then, he has been lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi.
