Chhota Rajan found guilty in Jaya Shetty's murder case

Mumbai underworld gangster Chhota Rajan (Rajendra Nikalje) has been convicted by a special session court in Mumbai in the murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty. Special Judge A. M. Patil has convicted Chhota Rajan under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MACOCA) and a decision on his punishment will be taken on Friday (May 31). Golden Crown Hotel in Mumbai was owned by Jaya Shetty. The Chhota Rajan gang had demanded ransom from Jaya Shetty. Jaya Shetty was shot dead by Chhota Rajan gang members in July 2001 after Shetty refused to pay the ransom.

The Chhota Rajan gang threatened to kill Jaya Shetty after she refused to pay the ransom. The Maharashtra Police then provided security to Shetty. But after a few months this security was removed. Two months after the security was lifted, Shetty was attacked by the Rajan gang. Jaya Shetty died on the spot.

Chhota Rajan is currently in jail serving sentence for his other crimes. In 2015, he was arrested from the city of Bali in Indonesia and brought to India. He is currently serving his sentence in Jail No. 2, Tihar, Delhi. This prison has a high security system. Many big and dangerous prisoners are kept in this prison. Rajan's real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje and he is currently 64 years old.

Rajan was earlier a close associate of notorious mafia and Mumbai underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim. But after the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in 1993, there was a rift between the two and Rajan formed his own gang. Mumbaikars have seen the struggle between these two gangs for many years. Gang wars raged in Mumbai in the 1990s and 2000s. During this period Rajan gang and Dawood gang often clashed in the streets and alleys of Mumbai. Many gangsters were killed in this gang war and many were encountered by the police. Fearing an encounter, Dawood, Rajan and many other notorious gangsters had fled India along with Mumbai. In 2015, police arrested Rajan with the help of Indonesian police and brought him to India. However, Dawood is still absconding. India's intelligence agencies and police are still searching for Dawood.