Chhota Rajan's life sentence commuted, gets bail in Jaya Shetty murder case
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Gangster Chhota Rajan’s life imprisonment in the Jaya Shetty murder case has been temporarily suspended before he was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh in the same case by the Bombay High Court, but he will remain in jail for his second life sentence in the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.
The case revolves around the killing of Jaya Shetty, owner of the Golden Crown Hotel in South Mumbai, who was shot dead by two unidentified assailants on May 4, 2001. Rajan, currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail, Delhi, was directed by the High Court to provide a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh, along with sureties of an equal amount.
The Jaya Shetty case was one of 71 cases transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following Rajan’s deportation from Indonesia in 2015. In May, the special court operating under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) found Rajan guilty, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Rajan is already serving a life sentence for his role in the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey and remains incarcerated without bail for that case.
Shetty's murder is believed to have been motivated by his refusal to pay a demanded ransom. Although the Mumbai police initially provided Shetty with security, the protection was withdrawn two months before his assassination. During the attack, the manager and another employee of the Golden Crown Hotel pursued the gunmen and managed to capture one of them.
The special court had found Rajan guilty of charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and criminal conspiracy, as well as violations under the MCOCA and the Arms Act. Co-accused individuals in the Shetty case, Ajay Mohite, Pramod Dhonde, and Rahul Pansare, were also convicted by the court.
In the aftermath of Shetty’s murder, Rajan’s associate, Hemant Pujari, allegedly issued further threats to the victim’s family, demanding the ransom payment. Pujari continues to be sought by law enforcement as a wanted suspect. Rajan's appeal against the conviction is currently pending, and the Bombay High Court’s recent decision to suspend his sentence allows him temporary relief while the appeal is under consideration.
