CBI briefed by Mumbai police on Chhota Rajan crimes

A two-member team of Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday met top Mumbai police officials including Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed in connection with the transfer of all cases pertaining to arrested mafia don Chhota Rajan who was brought to India early in the day, official sources said here.

The team is being briefed about the number of cases - numbering between 70-75 according to Javed, the types of cases which include murder, extortion, arms running, drug rackets, and status of the sub judice matters like the journalist Jyotirmoy Dey murder case of June 2011.

Later, as announced by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) K.P. Bakshi on Thursday evening, the Mumbai police will hand over all the documents, material evidences and other details to the CBI for carrying out its own independent probe.

Thereafter, the city police will not be part of investigations into any of the cases against the 55-year old don, who was flown in a special flight from Bali to New Delhi and landed here early on Friday day, 10 days after his arrest by Indonesian police on October 26.

Nevertheless, the Mumbai police may render assistance to the CBI sleuths as many of the cases are over three decades old and given the local cops' vast knowledge of Chhota Rajan's intricate crime networks, his associates and others links.

However, officials declined to comment whether Chhota Rajan would be brought to Mumbai courts for hearing in some of the ongoing cases in which his name figures.

The development follows Bakshi's surprise announcement on Thursday evening that all cases pertaining to Chhota Rajan would be handed over to CBI since they had national and international ramifications.

While the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have castigated the move, terming it as a blow to the "morale" of Mumbai Police, even former top cops like ex-DGP D. Shivanandan expressed his disappointment on the transfer.

Ironically, earlier this week, ancitipating Chhota Rajan's arrival, the Mumbai Police had made elaborate plans to lodge him in the high-security 'anda cell' (Oval Cell) inside the Arthur Road Central Jail, which was once occupied by Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab.