Chhota Rajan had sought bail stating that the police had claimed his connection to the murder through two other co-accused, both of whom have been acquitted in 2000.
In its detailed order rejecting bail to gangster Chhota Rajan for the murder of union leader Datta Samant in 1997, a special court has said that there were specific allegations that he operated the gang that committed the murder.
Rajan had sought bail stating that the police had claimed his connection to the murder through two other co-accused, both of whom have been acquitted in 2000. He said that with the criminal conspiracy charge not proven, nothing remains of the allegation against him. His plea was rejected last week, and the detailed order was made available on Tuesday.
“Only because the offence under Section 120B of IPC is not proved against the arrested accused, it is a little bit premature at this stage to comment about a conspiracy hatched by the applicant/accused. This aspect needs detailed evidence and the prosecution has to prove this fact by adducing evidence,” special Judge A T Wankhede said in his detailed order.
On January 16, 1997, Samant was travelling from Powai to Ghatkopar in a jeep when four unknown people obstructed his vehicle and fired at him. It was alleged that the motive of the murder was a trade union dispute and that the offence was committed by Rajan’s men.
The CBI, which took over the case from the Mumbai police after Rajan was extradited from Indonesia in 2015, has claimed that witness statements are showing that the men were connected to him.
It was also said that one witness has identified an accused, who had made a phone call to Hong Kong from his telephone booth which was circumstantial evidence against Rajan.
The court said that charges have been framed in the case and the trial is to commence. It also said that Rajan is already serving life imprisonment for the murder of journalist J Dey in 2011. Rajan is facing several cases and is currently lodged in Tihar jail.
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