Rajan convicted in 2001 case of hotelier's murder

The special sentenced MCOCA court on Thursday Rajendra Sadashive Nikalje, 67, alias Chhota Rajan, to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 16 lakh in connection with the murder of a hotelier, Jaya Shetty, in 2001.

Interestingly, the prosecution had examined Rajan's key aide, Santosh Shetty, as one of the witnesses had revealed the role of Rajan and two of his men, Hemant Pujari and Bharat Nepali.

This was the second case wherein Rajan had been sentenced to life imprisonment, after the case of the murder of a crime journalist, Jyotirmoy Dey. So far, he has been held guilty in six cases, and trial is pending in seven to eight of the total 71 cases against him.

On May 4, 2001, assailants entered the Golden Crown hotel and shot the owner, Jaya Shetty, in his office on the first floor, as he had failed to pay Rs 50 lakh ransom money to Rajan. One of the shooters, Ajay Mohite, was caught on the spot while his accomplice, Kundansingh Rawat, managed to escape. Rawat was killed in an encounter two years later. Two more accused, Pramod Dhonde and Rahul Pansare, were caught subsequently.