CBI gets 10 days custody of Chhota Rajan

The Central Bureau of Investigation has got 10 custody of underworld don Chhota Rajan in connection with an alleged fake passport case registered by the agency on October 31 shortly before its team left for Indonesia to deport him back from Indonesia.

The agency had registered a case against Rajan and unnamed officials for allegedly issuing a passport to him with fake identity of Mohan Kumar in Harare, Zimbabwe in 2003 where he was hiding after escaping from Bangkok following an attempt on his life in the year 2000 by Dawood Ibrahim's hitmen.

The CBI has registered a case of alleged cheating, forgery, violation of Passport Act and violation Prevention of Corruption Act. This is the second case of fake passport against him with the first one having been registered in 2002 for another passport, issued in 1996, with fake identity of Vijay Kadam, in Bangkok.

The agency team had travelled in 2000 to Thailand to bring him back but he managed to give a slip and escaped.

"It has been alleged that said fugitive Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan got prepared an Indian Passport No G9273860 in the fake name of Mohan Kumar, allegedly residing at 107/B, Old M C Road, Azad Nagar, Mandya (Karnataka)," CBI spokesperson said on Saturday.

Rajan allegedly used the passport to escape to Australia in 2003 where he was residing since then, handling operations of his well spread-out network in South East Asia.

"He reached Australia on September 22, 2003 on the strength of the said passport and tourist visa and fraudulently obtained several different visas since then and continued to stay there till October 25, 2015," she said.

Singh said Rajan was detained by Indonesian Police at Bali on October 25, 2015 on his arrival from Australia against a Red Corner Notice issued by the Interpol.

The spokesperson said subsequently, he was handed over to CBI-Interpol (India) for his deportation to India on November 6, 2015.

She said the accused was produced before the competent court in Delhi and remanded to ten days police custody.