According to sources in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Rajan in 2011, after allegedly getting Dey murdered by his gunmen, had spoken about the incident to one of his accomplices boasting about the hit.
Investigations into the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey has revealed that Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje or Chhota Rajan had ordered a hit on Dey because the journalist criticised the gangster's operations. Rajan had even accused Dey of glorifying Mumbai's fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim and at the same time belittling him.
According to sources in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Rajan in 2011, after allegedly getting Dey murdered by his gunmen, had spoken about the incident to one of his accomplices boasting about the hit. A senior CBI officer told dna that the conversation proved to be instrumental in filing of charges against Rajan. Voice samples of the gangster were taken and matched with that of the recorded conversation that had taken place soon after Dey's murder. "The voices matched. The conversation was about how the now deceased journalist was killed," said the CBI officer.
On Friday, the probe agency filed a supplementary charge sheet against the accused including Rajan for Dey's murder that took place on June 11, 2011. The case will also be tried on the basis of the charge sheet filed by the crime branch of Mumbai Police which names Rohit Joseph alias Satiah Kaliya, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Anil Waghmode, Deepak Sisodia, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Paulson Joseph, Sachin Gaikwad, Vinod Asrani and Jigna Vora as accused. Vora, too was a journalist and sources told dna that she was providing Rajan with crucial details about Dey's activities. "Vora and Dey had a rivalry that had started when the duo were working together," said a CBI source.
While one Nayansingh Bisht, who allegedly provided the weapon to the shooters is absconding, a builder named Vinod Asrani, who was accused of identifying Dey to the shooters, died of kidney failure later.
What is more interesting is the fact that a prosecution witness in the case turned out to be a close associate of Rajan and now stands accused of providing logistical support to carry out the murder. Identified as Ravi Ram Rattesar, a businessman by profession and owner of Fusion Bar and restaurant in Mumbai, was earlier a prosecution witness in the case when it was being probed by Mumbai Police.
According to agency sources, Ravi turned out to important associate of Rajan and had even provided SIM cards with global roaming services to members of Rajan's gang. It was on one of these SIM's that Rajan was heard boasting about murdering Dey, an evidence which would be used in a case against him years later.
As for Ravi Ram, he is believed to have left India sometime around Rajan's arrest last year. According to CBI sources, Ravi is supposedly carrying out a business of supplying rice in one of the Gulf countries, possibly Dubai, sources said.
"We are verifying the claims made by some of those who knew Ravi," said a CBI source. Rajan was brought to the country from Indonesia in November last year and has close to 70 cases registered against him which include murder, extortion, attempt to murder and arms act.
A meeting that could have save Dey's life
In 2011, the same year when J Dey was gunned down by sharpshooters allegedly hired by gangster Chhota Rajan, a meeting was to take place between the now deceased journalist Jyotirmoy Dey and the gangster. Venue for the meeting was chosen to be London.
Apparently, Rajan, unhappy with Dey's coverage on him, had made several threats to the journalist. While Dey's stories on Rajan had been a botheration for the dreaded gangster, the boiling point for Rajan came with Dey's books. Rajan believed that Dey had projected him as a 'chindi' (petty) and glamorised underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, CBI sources said.
"The accused (Rajan) has told interrogators that he had tried to make Dey understand and threatened him if he continued to write against him. A meeting was also organised between the two which was to take place in London. This was in 2011, sometime before the murder took place. However, the accused (Rajan) claimed he received information that gangster Chhota Shakeel might attempt to get him killed during the meeting. In September 2000 Shakeel had attempted to murder him in his Bangkok hotel room and due to this Rajan did not want to take the risk again and cancelled the meeting. Sometime after this failed meeting, Dey was murdered," said a CBI officer.
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