On 31 October 2026, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai acquitted Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, known as Chhota Rajan, and four others in a 2009 attempt-to-murder case related to an attack on former Shiv Sena leader Ajay Bhosale during the Maharashtra assembly election campaign. The court found insufficient evidence to convict the accused, who had faced charges of attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, and offences under the Arms Act.
According to Hindustan Times, Special Judge Narendranath Ravindranath Pradhan acquitted Chhota Rajan, Mohammad Shakib Shahnawaj Alam Khan, Surendra Kumar Bhramadatt Agarwal, Rajesh Dodaram Yadav, and Vijay Purshottam Salvi alias Vijay Tambat. The court also ordered the release of Rajan and Khan from custody if they were not required in any other case. Rajan remains incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, serving a life sentence for the 2011 murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.
As noted in an article by The Indian Express, the case stemmed from an incident on 11 October 2009, when two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at Ajay Bhosale’s vehicle in Pune’s Koregaon Park. Bhosale was unharmed, but his driver, Shakeel Sayyed, sustained injuries. The prosecution alleged that the attack was linked to a property dispute within the Agarwal family, with Surendra Agarwal allegedly seeking Rajan’s intervention through an associate to pressure his brothers.
The investigation initially conducted by the state CID named Rajan and other associates as accused in 2013. After Rajan’s arrest in Indonesia in 2015 and subsequent deportation to India, the Maharashtra government transferred 71 cases involving him to the CBI, which registered a case in May 2017. Further details indicate that the CBI court had granted Rajan bail in this case in May 2025, but he remained in custody due to other convictions.
“The court also directed that the seized properties be preserved for the trial of two other accused who remain absconding, and a supplementary charge-sheet be filed against them,” the coverage revealed.
Analysis showed that the prosecution’s case relied on the alleged conspiracy involving Rajan and his associates. However, the court found the evidence insufficient to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt for the five accused who faced trial. The acquittal does not affect Rajan’s ongoing imprisonment for other convictions, including the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.
The investigation continued as details emerged regarding the absconding accused, with the court instructing authorities to preserve evidence and pursue supplementary proceedings. The acquittal concludes the trial for the five present accused, but legal proceedings remain open for those not yet apprehended.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.