Chhota Rajan arrest: It's a happy ending, says former DGP

Rajan seems to have come into the police trap so easily, it almost looks suspicious?
It was not easy or suspicious. The entire system has worked this time, and the Indian agencies have alerted Australia with all the due process. And it has resulted in the arrest. He (Rajan) was in Sydney and was using a fake passport. He came under the radar of the Indian agencies when he applied for a visa extention in Sydney under the false identity. The Indian agencies immediately alerted their counterparts in Australia. And, when he left Australia to go to Indonesia, the Australian police alerted the Indonesian police. They had the red corner notice of the Interpol, based on which, Rajan was nabbed. Therefore, all due process of law has been followed and there is nothing fictitious or otherwise in this.

For 20 years, he successfully hoodwinked the agencies and remained a fugitive; so what went wrong this time?
The point is, for all these people, nemesis has to strike only once. One mistake is all it takes.

The question foremost in everyone's mind is whether he will be actually brought to India immediately or it will take years for authorities to get him to India and face the law?
As I understand and I appreciate with the facts available, I think, he should be brought to India within the immediate next few days.

How true is it that Rajan is very sick and is suffering from a serious kidney ailment?
I will not believe all these theories as a policeman, unless we get him medically examined and see his reports. He is not that old as is made out to be. He is only 55 years old. These are all myths created around him.

You were almost single-handedly responsible for breaking the backbone of Mumbai underworld. How significant is this arrest with regards to Mumbai police and the underworld?
We had pruned all the branches of the underworld tree. However, the roots were hiding somewhere in foreign countries. So, however much credit we take that we had controlled the underworld, I as a policeman would not have been satisfied without going to the roots, which are Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel and Chhota Rajan. Now, I am happy that as far as Rajan is concerned it has come a full-circle and there is now a full-stop to him and his gang. I would say it is a happy ending. It should happen to all other fugitives also. Of course, that day will also come.

Even if he is brought to Mumbai, does the police have enough strong evidence against him to get a conviction?
Yes. There is enough evidence to convict him. Officers in Mumbai are all good in their individual capacity to ensure that. If a capable officer is ear-marked who goes doggedly behind every evidence and chase everything, Rajan can be convicted very easily. And, if Rajan is deported, then he can be tried in all the cases registered against him in Mumbai and anywhere else in the country.

There is a fear that if Rajan comes to Mumbai, he is likely to rebuild his gang again?
That possibility is there. If it happens then it would be a systemic failure. There have been instances of DK Rao coming out of jail, Ashwin Naik was also eventually out of jail without any conviction. Anil Parab alias Vangya was deported from Dubai and we don't know what happened to him. Iqbal Kaskar also was acquitted. So, if it happens in Rajan's case as well, then it will be a failure of the criminal-judicial system.