The Indian police team — comprising officers from CBI, Mumbai and Delhi police — has been working with their Indonesian counterparts to take over Rajan’s custody as early as possible
Chhota Rajan
Bali: The Indian police team yesterday questioned underworld don Chhota Rajan for the first time. Officials believe that he could be deported to India in the next two-three days. Rajan, who was arrested in this tourist town upon arrival from Australia on October 25, is expected to be produced before a court soon where the Indonesian police will submit details of the cases for which he is wanted in India.
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Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje aka Chhota Rajan, is brought out from a holding cell at the Bali police headquarters in Denpasar in Bali yesterday. Pic/AFP
“The team (comprising officers from CBI, Mumbai and Delhi police) reached Bali yesterday. It will take at least three days to complete the deportation procedure, after which latest by Thursday he should land in India,” said a senior officer of Mumbai crime branch on condition of anonymity.
Rajan, whose original name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, has been questioned by the Indonesian police several times in the last few days to confirm his identity and criminal acts in India. He was questioned both in English as well as in Hindi through a translator.
Indian police team has been working with their Indonesian counterparts to take over Rajan’s custody as early as possible. “If the lawyer engaged by Rajan does not oppose his deportation to India, we will hand him over to the Indian police team which has come here. The entire process is likely to be completed in next two-three days,” an official said.
However, if the lawyer opposes Rajan’s deportation to India, the process may get longer, the official said. In the absence of an extradition treaty, the Indian authorities have already provided documents to their Indonesian counterparts about his Indian identity to facilitate his deportation.
Rajan has hired a lawyer, Fransico Prassar, who met him at the detention center a few times. The Indian team, comprising officers from CBI, Mumbai and Delhi police, arrived here on Sunday and they came along with a detailed dossier on 55-year-old Rajan and his involvement in various crimes in India.
‘ISI is hiding Dawood’
The team for the first time questioned Rajan yesterday in presence of Indonesian police at the detention centre where he has been lodged for the last ten days.
Sanjeev Kumar Agrawal, first secretary (consular) in the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, who met Rajan for nearly half an hour on Sunday, was also present when the Indian team examined Rajan.
While being taken out of the detention centre, Rajan told reporters that his bete noire and India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim is currently hiding in Pakistan under the direct patronage of ISI. Rajan said “ISI chhupa rahi hai (ISI is hiding him).”
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