SC cancels gangster Chhota Rajan's bail in 2001 Jaya Shetty murder case: 'Why suspend sentence of such a man'
The Supreme Court has overturned the Bombay High Court's suspension of Chhota Rajan's life term in the 2001 Jaya Shetty murder case. The apex court ruled that the underworld don’s conviction cannot be stayed when he has already been sentenced in multiple other cases.
In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court has cancelled the bail granted by the Bombay High Court to gangster Chhota Rajan's sentence in the 2001 Jaya Shetty murder case. During the hearing, a bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta observed, "If he has been convicted in four cases, why should the sentence of such a man in this case remain suspended?" The case relates to the murder of hotelier Jaya Shetty in 2001. A special court had convicted Chhota Rajan in May last year, sentencing him to life imprisonment for his involvement in the crime. Rajan had appealed against this verdict before the Bombay High Court. On October 23, 2024, the Bombay High Court suspended his sentence and granted him bail. However, the CBI challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, which has now reversed the High Court's order.
Defence argument rejected
Rajan's lawyer argued that in 47 out of 71 cases, the CBI had found no evidence against him. However, the apex court did not accept this plea. Since Chhota Rajan is already serving life sentences in other cases, the court clarified that he does not need to surrender again.
Extortion threats before killing
According to the prosecution, victim Jaya Shetty, the owner of Golden Crown hotel in South Mumbai, had been receiving extortion threats from Chhota Rajan's gang. Although Shetty was given police protection, it was withdrawn two months before the murder. On May 4, 2001, Shetty was shot dead outside his office by two alleged gang members after he reportedly refused to pay a demand of Rs 50,000.
Special MCOCA court verdict in 2024
In May 2024, a Special MCOCA court in Mumbai sentenced Chhota Rajan to life imprisonment for his role in the murder. He was convicted under multiple charges: Under Sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Rajan was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs. 1,00,000. Failure to pay the fine would add one year of simple imprisonment.
Under Sections 3(1)(i), 3(2), and 3(4), he was awarded life sentences with fines of Rs. 5,00,000 each. Defaulting on these fines would result in an additional one-year simple imprisonment for each count.
Total punishment and fine
The court ruled that all four life sentences would run concurrently. A total fine of Rs 16,00,000 was imposed on Chhota Rajan. However, he was acquitted of charges under Sections 3, 25, and 27 of the Arms Act. This was Rajan's second life sentence. He had already been serving time for the 2011 murder of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. Rajan was arrested in Bali in October 2015 and later deported to India. He faced 71 criminal cases in Maharashtra, all of which were transferred to the CBI.
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