The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to underworld don Chhota Rajan in the 2001 murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty, overturning an earlier order of the Bombay High Court.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the ruling while hearing a plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had challenged Rajan’s release.
Chhota Rajan, whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2024. However, in October 2024, the Bombay High Court granted him bail while his appeal was pending.
During arguments, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the CBI, highlighted that Rajan had been convicted in four cases, including two murders, and had evaded law enforcement for 27 years before his arrest.
The apex court observed that Rajan’s history of convictions weighed heavily against him. “The man has four convictions; why suspension of sentence for such a man?” the bench remarked, rejecting the defense that Rajan had also been acquitted in several cases.
The Court further noted that many of Rajan’s acquittals were due to witnesses refusing to testify, rather than lack of evidence. It concluded that he was not entitled to the relief of bail, and ordered its cancellation.
With this ruling, Chhota Rajan will remain behind bars to serve his life sentence.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)