Ready to handle cases against Chhota Rajan: Mumbai top cop

The Mumbai Police are fully prepared to deal with all cases involving underworld don Chhota Rajan even as it briefed the Union Home Ministry of the steps being taken in the matter.

“The fact is that he has been arrested on our Red Corner notice and is wanted in so many cases...the Mumbai Police are fully prepared to deal with all cases pertaining to his involvement in different crimes,” Police Commissioner Javed Ahamed said. He, however, parried questions from the audience if the development could subsequently lead to the arrest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, also one of the most wanted persons in India.

An officer from Mumbai Crime Branch on Thursday briefed the Home Ministry officials on the process of documenting the offences committed by Rajan. The Home Ministry had asked the Mumbai Police to make a detailed documentation of the offences committed by the arrested fugitive in India, where he is wanted in over 75 cases – including suspected role in murder of investigative journalist J Dey.

Following the directives, the Crime Branch had formed a team to compile the history of the 55-year-old gangster who had been on the run for two decades.

However, Mumbai Police spokesman Dhananjay Kulkarni refused to divulge any details if the officer concerned was going to Delhi along with the dossier.  According to another officer, privy to the developments, documenting a big dossier would take time but a squad of Mumbai Police Crime Branch would be part of the team that would go to Bali to bring back Rajan.

The one-time trusted aide Dawood, Rajan is wanted in scores of offences ranging from murder and extortion to smuggling and drug trafficking. The cases in which Rajan’s involvement is suspected o include the murder of J Dey in June 2011. Apart from compiling records of over 75 criminal cases against Rajan, a police team is also documenting the fine-prints of each case.