Court to pass order of charge against Chhota Rajan on June 8

New Delhi: A special court on Monday reserved its order on framing of charges against gangster Chhota Rajan and three others in a fake passport case for June 8.

Special judge Vinod Kumar concluded hearing arguments of CBI and accused persons on the issue of charge during which Rajan denied the allegation that he used a fictitious identity with the help of fake passport to escape the law as he was accused in several cases of heinous nature.

His counsel, however, submitted that he has no objection on framing of charge against him as per the allegations in the charge sheet.

During the arguments, the CBI had alleged that the government officials conspired to issue the passport to Rajan in the name of one Mohan Kumar, a non-existent person in complete violation of procedures.

It had told the court that Rajan, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody, was accused in several cases of heinous nature, involving charges of murder and extortion and in 1995, a Red Corner Notice was issued against him, therefore, he used a new identity to escape.

Besides Rajan, the other accused persons in the case are against Rajan and retired public servants Jayashree Dattatray Rahate, Deepak Natvarlal Shah and Lalitha Lakshmanan.

According to CBI, Rajan had got his first fake passport issued from Bengaluru on January 1, 1998 allegedly in connivance with the other accused persons.

The CBI said Rajan had allegedly got his passport issued twice from Indian missions abroad on the basis of a fake travel document issued to him in the name of Kumar from the Bengaluru passport office in 1998.

CBI filed a charge sheet for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery under the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Passport Act.

It said these officers had allegedly ignored rules and regulations of verification while issuing the passport on fake identity and address.

CBI claimed on the basis of passport issued in Kumar's name, Rajan had allegedly got another passport issued on December 19, 2003 from High Commission of India at Harare, Zimbabwe, and another one from the Consulate General of India in Sydney.

Deported after being on the run for 27 years, the 55-year old gangster, who was once a close aide of fugitive terrorist and mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, was brought to India to face trial in over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug smuggling in Delhi and Mumbai. Rajan was deported to India after his arrest in Bali in October last year.