20 years on, Chhota Rajan acquitted in builder threat case as prosecution fails to prove charge
Mumbai, May 11 (PTI): In a setback for CBI, gangster Chhota Rajan was acquitted by a special court two decades after he was booked for threatening a builder, with the judge noting the prosecution has failed to prove the charge as nothing incriminatory was found during witnesses' testimonies.
The gangster will, however, continue to remain in the Tijar Jail where he is serving a life term for the murder of Mumbai-based crime reporter J Dey.
While acquitting Chhota Rajan on Thursday, special judge AM Patil of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court noted that the most reliable witness of the prosecution is not certain whether the person who had called him on the phone to threaten the builder was indeed Chhota Rajan.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which investigated the case, stated that real estate developer Nandkumar Harchandani had received multiple threats in the name of Chhota Rajan, asking him to clear the dues he purportedly owed to some businessmen.
The prosecution maintained Harchandani had invited displeasure of the accused (Chhota Rajan) in the matter of payment of money who hatched a plan to teach a lesson to the builder.
Rajan, through his accomplices, had allegedly told Harchandani to stop work at the construction site, it said.
In September 2004, seven unidentified persons entered Harchandani's office and fired at his accountant, but he escaped narrowly.
The court stated that nothing incriminatory against the present accused came on record during the testimonies of two eyewitnesses examined by the prosecution.
"The most reliable witness against the present accused is Irshad Shaikh, who received Rajan's alleged call about the threat. But, during his cross-examination, he admitted that he is not certain whether the person who made the call was 'Chhota Rajan' or somebody else. This is the crucial admission given by this witness, which goes to the very roots of the case," the judge stated.
"In sum and substance, it can be said that the prosecution has failed to prove the guilt of the accused," the court added.
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Rain might have washed it away: Meghalaya minister after 4,000 tonnes of coal go missing
Shillong (PTI): As the Meghalaya High Court pulled up the state government over the disappearance of over 4,000 tonnes of coal, a minister on Monday claimed that heavy rain in the state might have washed it away.
The high court has directed the state government to take action against officials under whose watch the coal went missing.
Speaking to reporters, Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla said, "Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall. You never know... because of rain, the coal might have swept away. Chances are very high."
The high court had on July 25 pulled up the state government over the vanishing of coal from Rajaju and Diengngan villages and instructed it to trace those responsible for lifting the coal illegally.
The minister, however, clarified that he was not trying to justify the disappearance, and admitted there was no conclusive evidence yet to determine whether the loss was due to natural causes or any illegal activity. "I cannot blame just the rain. It could be or it could not be. I really don't have any kind of details," he said.
He asserted that any activity related to coal mining or transportation must be done in accordance with the law and that authorities must ensure illegal practices are curbed.
On allegations of ongoing illegal coal mining and transport in the state, Shylla said concrete evidence was needed to establish such claims and that multiple departments were responsible for monitoring such activities.
"But I believe that our people, if it is for survival, might do it illegally... otherwise nobody wants to do anything that can harm the state," he said.
He expressed optimism that people would abide by the law, especially after the government's announcement of scientific mining.
"We all are happy to welcome it, and we want to see the light of day with this. I believe our people will not do anything that gives the court or law a chance to point fingers at us," he added.
The ban on coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya was imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014, citing rampant unregulated and unsafe mining practices, especially the controversial 'rat-hole' mining technique prevalent in the state.
The tribunal's order came in the wake of mounting concerns over environmental degradation, water contamination, and frequent fatalities in the hazardous mines, particularly in East Jaintia Hills.
On a separate note, the minister also responded to complaints over the dust and debris caused by the ongoing construction along National Highway 6 in East Jaintia Hills, saying, "I appreciate this government for the initiative. For now, it is difficult, but once everything is completed, we will enjoy the benefits."
