Supreme Court Overturns Bail for Notorious Gangster Chhota Rajan

In a decisive ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court nullified the bail granted to infamous gangster Chhota Rajan, in connection with the 2001 murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty. The high-profile case took a significant turn as the bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, approved the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) appeal against a prior Bombay High Court decision. This decision had previously suspended Rajan's life sentence and permitted bail.

The bench underscored Rajan's elusive history, noting his 27-year period as a fugitive alongside convictions in four separate cases. Dismissing arguments from Rajan's counsel regarding insufficient evidence in many cases, the court questioned the logic behind suspending the sentence for such a figure. The CBI, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, asserted the importance of maintaining Rajan's life sentence, eventually leading to the cancellation of his bail.

Rajan's lawyer maintained that many of the 71 cases ended with no material evidence, leading to closures by the CBI in 47 instances. However, the court remarked on the intimidation factor of Rajan's name itself, resulting in witnesses' reluctance to testify. Despite Rajan's plea highlighting acquittals in several trials, the court's final stance was clear as it rescinded the bail, reinforcing his ongoing life term for the notorious killing of journalist J Dey.

(With inputs from agencies.)