Chhota Rajan wanted in 8 extortion cases in Gujarat

India's dreaded gangster of yesteryears Chhota Rajan, who has been arrested by the Indonesian Police from Bali following a red corner notice by the Interpol, is wanted in as many as eight criminal cases in Gujarat, said informed sources.

Two of the eight cases against Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan who is also known as Nana in the underworld, are registered with the Detection of Crime Branch police of Ahmedabad, said the sources, adding that the Gujarat Police have galvanized into action to put together details of the offences lodged against him.

According to city police sources, Chhota Rajan and members of the Babbar Khalsa group, had allegedly demanded extortion money from former Congress chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary and Ahmedabad-based eye surgeon Amit Shah in 2000. However, they could not execute their plan following the arrest of 18 members of Rajan's gang.

In another case, the Karanj police in Ahmedabad had arrested a Mumbai-based medical practitioner Piyush Mehta, who had sought the help of Chhota Rajan's gang to extort Rs.2 crore from Shah following a legal dispute between them. Mehta was later handed over to the Detection of Crime Branch in 2011.

If a 2005 offence under section 387 of the Indian Penal Code for threatening a person with life or grievous injury for purpose of extortion as well as Arms Act is pending against Rajana with the Ahmedabad police, another FIR against his accomplice Dharmendra Punjabi for threatening a businessman Hansraj Grower has been hanging fire in textile and diamond city Surat since 1999, police sources said.

Official sources said it had been a long time since Chhota Rajan was wanted in India and now he is in custody, police officials in the state were fishing out old cases against him from the records.