Defence argument rejected
Rajan's lawyer argued that in 47 out of 71 cases, the CBI had found no evidence against him. However, the apex court did not accept this plea. Since Chhota Rajan is already serving life sentences in other cases, the court clarified that he does not need to surrender again.
Extortion threats before killing
According to the prosecution, victim Jaya Shetty, the owner of Golden Crown hotel in South Mumbai, had been receiving extortion threats from Chhota Rajan's gang. Although Shetty was given police protection, it was withdrawn two months before the murder. On May 4, 2001, Shetty was shot dead outside his office by two alleged gang members after he reportedly refused to pay a demand of Rs 50,000.
Special MCOCA court verdict in 2024
In May 2024, a Special MCOCA court in Mumbai sentenced Chhota Rajan to life imprisonment for his role in the murder. He was convicted under multiple charges: Under Sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Rajan was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs. 1,00,000. Failure to pay the fine would add one year of simple imprisonment.
Under Sections 3(1)(i), 3(2), and 3(4), he was awarded life sentences with fines of Rs. 5,00,000 each. Defaulting on these fines would result in an additional one-year simple imprisonment for each count.
Total punishment and fine
The court ruled that all four life sentences would run concurrently. A total fine of Rs 16,00,000 was imposed on Chhota Rajan. However, he was acquitted of charges under Sections 3, 25, and 27 of the Arms Act. This was Rajan's second life sentence. He had already been serving time for the 2011 murder of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. Rajan was arrested in Bali in October 2015 and later deported to India. He faced 71 criminal cases in Maharashtra, all of which were transferred to the CBI.
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