'Mumbai police team was never given access to Rajan in Bali'

Mumbai: The team of Mumbai police which had gone to Bali, Indonesia, to secure deportation of Chhota Rajan was not allowed to meet the gangster even once, an official on Saturday said.

"Our team did not have any access to Rajan, all the communication they received was through the (Indian) consulate official in Bali," said a senior crime branch official here.

The police team, which had left Mumbai on October 30, had only a glimpse of Rajan four days later, on November 3. Rajan was arrested on the basis of an Interpol Red Corner notice at Bali airport on October 25 after he reached Bali from Australia. The senior official also said that this was Rajan's first visit to Indonesia and he had planned to spend at least 15 days there on a "vacation".

Even during the flight back to Delhi, the Mumbai police team couldn't speak to Rajan. "It was a 10-hour flight from Bali to Mumbai. Most of the time Rajan was sleeping. A team of seven officials, comprising men from Mumbai police, CBI and

Delhi Special Cell, accompanied him," the official said. He also said that contrary to past media reports, Rajan doesn't have any kidney ailment, though he has had a heart bypass surgery.

Also read:

CBI gets custody of Chhota Rajan

Intelligence agencies hire Chhota Rajan look-alike for gangster's safety

Delhi police ready with questionnaire for Chhota Rajan

Rings of security for Chhota Rajan

Some Mumbai Police officials have links with Dawood Ibrahim, says Chhota Rajan

Chhota Rajan mentioned his own name as his father in one of the passports

Underworld don Chhota Rajan faces six MCOCA cases

Chhota Rajan faces 28 extortion, 12 murder cases

A day before Rajan landed in Delhi, Maharashtra government, in a surprise move, decided to transfer all the cases against him to CBI. Rajan had earlier told mediapersons that some police officers in Mumbai were on the payroll of his rival and fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Mumbai police had till now not shared any documents pertaining to cases against the gangster with CBI as they were awaiting notification from the state government, the crime branch official said.

Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.