Santosh Shetty helped injured Chhota Rajan get out of hospital: Police

Extradited gangster Santosh Shetty, arrested in the second fake passport case, had used his mountaineering skills to get his severely injured former boss Chhota Rajan out of a Bangkok hospital in 2000, police said.

"Shetty has been arrested in another fake passport case in which two of his aides, including one Badresh Shah, had been held in February. In this fake passport case, he was remanded in police custody till August 26," Joint Police Commissioner (Crime) Himanshu Roy said.

Shetty, who was brought here from Thailand on August 12, was arrested for obtaining a passport from Kolkata under the fictitious name of Nicholas Sharma. He was produced before the court today in the first fake passport case in which his custody was extended till August 25, Roy said.

According to the police, the association between Rajan and Shetty had strengthened after the former helped Rajan escape from a Bangkok hospital in September 2000.

Rajan had been hospitalised after being severely injured in a murderous attack by rival Dawood Ibrahim's gang members in the Thai capital.

"During interrogation, Shetty revealed he had used mountaineering techniques to get Rajan out of the hospital amid tight security of Thai police," said a Mumbai Police officer.

It was Shetty who saved Rajan from being killed in the attack. While undergoing treatment, Rajan wanted to escape from the custody of Thai cops, police said.