Prize Catch Of Chhota Rajan

The intelligence apparatus hopes the arrest of Chhota Rajan will lead to information that helps bring Dawood Ibrahim to book, but many people feel that a breakthrough may be unlikely.

- Anupama Katakam

Indian investigating agencies have finally landed a big fish. Chhota Rajan, a notorious criminal and one of the biggest dons of Mumbai’s underworld, has been arrested in Indonesia and brought back to the country to be tried for a staggering 68 crimes. It is another issue that the agencies could have landed this catch much earlier.

The arrest of Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, better known as Chhota Rajan, will help crack several high-profile cases, police sources said. These include the murders of the trade union leader Datta Samant and the journalist Jyotirmoy Dey and a host of others and a number of extortion cases. The authorities, particularly the Intelligence Bureau (I.B.), are also hoping the gangster will reveal much-needed information on his arch-enemy and an even more dangerous criminal, Dawood Ibrahim. “This is questionable,” said a retired police officer who was closely involved in Rajan’s cases. “In all these years, Rajan has done little to lead them to Ibrahim. I don’t know how much use he will be. It might be too late. However, you never know, there may be a breakthrough.”

Chhota Rajan was taken into custody on October 26 when he landed at the picturesque island of Bali in Indonesia. According to police sources, he was travelling under the name of Mohan Kumar and flew in from Australia, where he had reportedly been living for several years. He was apparently travelling to renew his Australian visa.