The Bombay High Court has suspended the life sentence of gangster Chhota Rajan, who was convicted in connection with the murder of hotelier Jaya Shetty in Mumbai in 2001. A division bench, comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan, granted bail to Rajan, contingent upon him furnishing a bond of ₹1 lakh. However, he will remain in jail due to other pending cases.

Background on the Case

In May, a special court sentenced Chhota Rajan to life imprisonment for the murder of Jaya Shetty. Following this conviction, Rajan appealed to the Bombay High Court, requesting that his sentence be suspended while he sought bail.

Who Was Jaya Shetty?

Jaya Shetty, the owner of the Golden Crown hotel whici is located in Gamdevi, was shot dead on May 4, 2001. The attack was carried out by two alleged members of Chhota Rajan’s gang on the first floor of the hotel. Investigations revealed that Shetty had received extortion calls from Hemant Pujari, a gang member, and was killed after failing to pay the demanded sum.

Currently, Rajan is serving a life sentence for the murder of veteran crime reporter J Dey and is incarcerated at Tihar Jail in Delhi.

Acquittal in the Murder of Dr. Datta Samant

In a separate legal development, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court acquitted Chhota Rajan of involvement in the high-profile murder of Dr. Datta Samant, a prominent Mumbai trade union leader, who was killed in 1997. The court found no substantial evidence to support the charges against him, stating, “In this case, no incriminating evidence has come on record against the accused in respect of conspiracy to commit the murder of Dr. Datta Samant.”

Dr. Samant was shot by four individuals while traveling in his jeep on Padmavati Road on January 16, 1997. Although three men were convicted for the murder in 2000, Rajan remained a wanted suspect. He was arrested in 2015 in Indonesia and subsequently extradited to Mumbai, where all pending cases against him were handed over to the CBI.