Team leaves for Indonesia to get Chhota Rajan deported

Rajan was detained in Bali on his arrival from Australia last week

A joint team of CBI and police officers has left for Indonesia to seek deportation of underworld don Chhota Rajan, two days after India wrote a letter to the authorities there for his return to face trial in various criminal cases registered against him.

Rajan, who was nabbed at Bali airport on his arrival from Australia last month, has been lodged in a prison in Bali.

First Secretary (Consular) Sanjeev Kumar Agrawal at the Indian embassy in Jakarta met Rajan for nearly half-an-hour at the detention centre where he has been lodged since his arrest last Sunday, sources said. This is for the first time an Indian official met him in prison.

The 55-year-old underworld don was arrested in Bali on the basis of a Red Corner Notice from Interpol and following a tip off by Australian authorities to the police in Indonesia.

In the absence of an extradition treaty, the Indian authorities have already provided documents to their Indonesian counterparts about his Indian identity to facilitate his deportation.

The joint team of officiers from CBI, Mumbai Police and Delhi Police will try for his deportation to India. Mumbai Police has 75 cases registered against him while Delhi Police has six.

CBI, which has sent its officer as it is the nodal agency for Interpol in India, will hand over Rajan's custody to Mumbai Police once he is brought back.

Mumbai Police have the maximum number of cases registered against Rajan, including 20 of murder, four cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, one under Prevention of Terrorism Act and over 20 cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

Rajan was a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim at one point but they split after 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Former officials of the security agencies have said that Rajan could have surrendered in the face of poor health and threats from Dawood and his top lieutenant Chhota Shakeel.