Supreme Court Revokes Bail for Gangster Chhota Rajan

Quick Summary

• The Supreme Court of India canceled the bail granted by Bombay High Court to Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje (alias Chhota Rajan),who is serving a life sentence for the 2001 murder of hotelier Jaya Shetty.
• A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that Nikalje had been a fugitive for 27 years with four other convictions, asking why his sentence should be suspended.
• Justice Nath remarked on Nikalje’s notoriety, while his defense argued that convictions cannot be based solely on reputation or association with his name.
• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appealed against the bail order; the Supreme Court upheld this appeal and canceled Nikalje’s bail bond.
• Jaya Shetty, owner of Golden Crown Hotel in Mumbai, was killed on May 4, 2001, allegedly by two members of Chhota Rajan’s gang after extortion demands from Hemant pujari went unmet.
• Chhota Rajan is already serving sentences for other crimes, including the murder of journalist J. Dey.

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