Mumbai: Underworld gangster Chhota Rajan will put on trial along with the other accused of murder of journalist J Dey.
Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court here said on Tuesday and issued a warrant against asking him to appear before it on January 7.
“The court has ordered a joint trial,” special public prosecutor Dileep Shah told PTI. The judge A L Pansare observed that the trial cannot be deferred as the Bombay High Court had expedited it, Shah said. “Moreover, no one from the CBI has been coming to the court to apprise the court about their progress in the investigation,” Shah added.
The court directed the Tihar jail officials (in Delhi) to ensure that Rajan is present in the court on January 7.
“The court said it will frame charges against him and start the trial on the same day,” said the prosecutor.
The judge also said that with the available material against Rajan in the charge sheet, the trial can start. 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.
Rajan was arrested at Bali airport in Indonesia on October 25 after he arrived from Australia, and was later deported to India. Maharashtra government has handed over all the cases against him to CBI. 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 the 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.
(With PTI inputs)