Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Oct 26: As news broke of an Indian fugitive being arrested in Bali, Indonesia, national and international media went on an overdrive claiming that the person arrested was serial killer Mohan Kumar alias Cyanide Mohan.
However, Cyanide Mohan is lodged in Belagavi Central Prison, after being sentenced to death in three cases in 2013. He was charged of murdering over 20 women with cyanide, and convicted in three cases. The death penalty is however yet to be carried out.
The media, especially the international ones, were quick to draw the conclusion that it was Cyanide Mohan who was 'finally' arrested, after 'avoiding arrest' and 'hiding' in Australia for 'years'.
Soon, it was reported that it was in fact Mumbai's wanted underworld element Chhota Rajan who was arrested. Some of the media again retracted the report claiming that it was not Rajan but Cyanide Mohan. Nevertheless, the CBI finally confirmed that it was in fact Chhota Rajan.
Perhaps, what led to the confusion was the statement given to the media by an Indonesian official: "We arrested the man at the airport yesterday (Sunday). What we know is that this man was suspected to have carried out 15 to 20 murders in India." As Cyanide Mohan had been charged with killing 20 women, the media jumped to the conclusion that it was him. Moreover, it is said that Rajan was living in Australia under the name of 'Mohan Kumar', and thus the confusion.
AFP reported that acting on a tip-off from Australian police, Indonesian authorities detained Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje better known as Chhota Rajan as he arrived in the popular resort island of Bali from Sydney.
The 55-year-old Rajan was arrested on the CBI's request, the investigating agency's director Anil Sinha confirmed after hours of confusion over the arrest.
"At the request of CBI (interpol) India, the Bali police has arrested an Indian national, Mohan Kumar, alias Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan. The CBI has been pursuing the matter with Australian authorities. This is a good and close cooperation between India, Australia and Indonesia," the CBI said.
With Inputs from Agencies