Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, May 11: In a blow to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a special MCOCA court on Thursday acquitted gangster Chhota Rajan in a two-decade-old case related to threatening a Mumbai-based builder, citing lack of evidence and inconsistent witness testimony.

Special judge A M Patil observed that the prosecution failed to establish Rajan’s involvement in the case, noting that “nothing incriminatory” came out during the testimonies of key witnesses. The most critical witness, Irshad Shaikh, admitted under cross-examination that he could not confirm whether it was Chhota Rajan who made the threat call, casting serious doubt on the prosecution’s claims.

The CBI had alleged that real estate developer Nandkumar Harchandani received repeated threats in Rajan’s name, pressuring him to clear dues supposedly owed to certain businessmen. In September 2004, seven unidentified men had stormed into Harchandani's office and fired at his accountant, who narrowly escaped.

Despite the serious nature of the accusations, the court stated that the prosecution could not prove that Rajan was behind the attack or the threats. "This is the crucial admission… which goes to the very roots of the case," the judge remarked.

While Rajan has been acquitted in this case, he will remain incarcerated at Delhi’s Tihar Jail, where he is serving a life sentence for the 2011 murder of journalist J Dey.