Chhota Rajan, whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, grabbed headlines last year when he took legal action against filmmaker Hansal Mehta and owners of Matchbox Shots LLP over a web series. Recently, a Mumbai court found him guilty in the murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty, dating back to 2001. What led to this conviction?
Jaya Shetty, the proprietor of the Golden Crown hotel in central Mumbai’s Gamdevi area, was targeted by the Chhota Rajan gang for extortion. Despite receiving threats, Shetty’s security cover was withdrawn two months before his murder on May 4, 2001. He was fatally shot inside his hotel by two members of the gang.
The conviction was delivered by special judge AM Patil, who presides over cases under the Maharashtra Control Of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The court is expected to announce the sentence later in the day.
Rajan, currently incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar Jail following his deportation from Indonesia in 2015, has a notorious past. According to reports, two shooters carried out the murder, but the hotel manager and an employee managed to apprehend one of them.
Interestingly, Rajan’s legal troubles extend beyond criminal activities. He filed a suit against the makers of the web series ‘Scoop’, objecting to the unauthorized use of his likeness and voice. The series, which aired on Netflix, revolves around the story of journalist Jigna Vora, who was implicated in the murder of fellow journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.
Rajan’s plea to permanently restrain the series’ release was based on his belief that the filmmakers did not seek his consent, thus infringing upon his rights. This legal battle added another layer to Rajan’s already tumultuous history, which includes a life sentence in connection with the J Dey murder case, for which Vora was later acquitted in 2018.
As the court prepares to determine the extent of Rajan’s culpability in the Jaya Shetty murder, his legal wrangling with filmmakers underscores the complex intersection of crime and media portrayal in contemporary Indian society.
