The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail of Gangster Chhota Rajan, who was accused in the 2001 murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty in Mumbai.
The Supreme Court bench led by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta had allowed the appeal by CBI, which challenged the Bombay High Court order of October 23 last year, suspending Rajan's life sentence and bail in the case.
The top court observed that Rajan had been absconding for over 27 years and is convicted in four cases. The bench said, "Why suspension of sentence to such a man?"
On the other hand, the counsel representing Rajan argued that it was a case of no evidence. He stated that out of the 71 cases against Rajan, the CBI could not find any material against Rajan in 47 cases, which had to be closed by the investigative agency. Adding that Rajan was convicted in a separate murder case and was granted a life sentence for it.
SV Raju, Additional Solicitor General, while appearing for the CBI, said that the High Court had ordered the suspension of the life sentence awarded to Rajan in the case.
Quashing the High Court order, the bench said, "We will cancel the bail in this."
Responding to Rajan's counsel, arguing that it was a case of no evidence, the apex court bench observed, "Your name itself is big enough."
His counsel had said that Rajan was acquitted in several cases, to which the bench replied that the acquittals were because of the reason that the witnesses did not come forward.
The SC allowed CBI's appeal challenging the HC order and cancelled his bail bond, noting that Rajan was already in judicial custody serving a sentence for another case.
Earlier, in May 2024, a special court had convicted Rajan in Jaya Shetty's murder case, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Then Rajan filed an appeal in the High Court against the verdict, where he sought a suspension of the sentence and an interim bail.
Jaya Shetty, a hotelier, owned the Golden Crown Hotel in Gamdevi, Central Mumbai. She was shot dead by two members of Rajan's gang on the first floor of her hotel on May 4, 2001.
Investigation in the case revealed that Shetty received extortion calls from Hemant Pujari, who was a member of Rajan's gang. He was killed because he failed to pay the money. Currently, Rajan is serving a life term for the murder of veteran crime reporter J Dey.