The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court said Gangster Chhota Rajan, who was recently arrested at Bali airport on October 25, will be tried with the other accused in the journalist Jyotirmoy Dey murder case.
The court has asked Rajan to appear on 7 January 2016. Special public prosecutor Dileep Shah said, judge AL Pansare observed that the trial cannot be deferred as the Bombay High Court has expedited it. Judge Pansare also said that with the available material against Rajan in the charge sheet, the trial can begin.
Dey, a veteran crime reporter, was shot dead in suburban Powai on June 11 2011. The first charge sheet names the arrested, accused Satiah Kaliya, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Vinod Asrani, Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodia. Later, another chargesheet was filed against journalist Jigna Vora, who is now out on bail. Rajan was allegedly upset with two articles written by Dey and therefore ordered his killing. Vora allegedly instigated him, owing to her own professional rivalry with Dey.
The court observed that a joint trial (as against trying Rajan separately) was required as it will save the time of the witnesses as they would not have to come to the court again and again, Defence lawyer Santosh M Deshpande contended.
Maharashtra government has handed over all the cases against Chhota Rajan to the CBI.
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