Mumbai, Mar 17 (PTI): A special court in Mumbai on Monday acquitted gangster Chhota Rajan in the 2011 killing of the driver/bodyguard of Iqbal Kaskar, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Special Judge A M Patil, designated under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), acquitted Rajan. A detailed copy of the order will be made available later.

Rajan, who is presently lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail, was produced before the court via videoconference.

The court informed him that he has been acquitted in the case.

"He (Rajan) be released forthwith, if he is not required in any crime or case," the court said.

On May 17, 2011, two men opened fire on one Arif Abunakar Sayyad in south Mumbai. Sayyad was the driver and bodyguard of Iqbal Hasan Shaikh Ibrahim Shaikh Kaskar, younger brother of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

As per the police, the killing was committed at the instance of Rajan, who was booked for murder and criminal conspiracy under Indian Penal Code, MCOCA, and Arms Act.

Rajan will continue to remain in jail as he is serving a life sentence for the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.

The gangster is also facing trial in other criminal cases.

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Bhopal: A massive financial irregularity has come to light in Madhya Pradesh, where Rs 23.81 crore, earmarked as relief aid for families of natural calamities and accidents, was siphoned into the accounts of government employees, their relatives, and other ineligible individuals across 13 districts, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

The CAG audit, as cited by The New Indian Express on Tuesday, revealed that the funds—intended to assist families affected by disasters such as lightning strikes, hailstorms, drought, excessive rain, floods, and accidents like snakebites and drowning—were misappropriated. The fraudulent transactions were reported across thirteen districts, including Seoni, Sheopur, Sehore, Shivpuri, Dewas, Chhatarpur, Khandwa, Mandsaur, Raisen, Damoh, Satna, Agar-Malwa, and Vidisha.

The audit report, tabled in the Vidhan Sabha, disclosed that of the total misappropriated sum, Rs 21.14 crore was transferred to unauthorised (ineligible) individuals, while Rs 2.67 crore was distributed to government employees and their relatives.

The investigation further revealed that government personnel exploited loopholes in the global budget system and the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) to facilitate the scam, TNIE added.

Fake sanction orders and fake beneficiaries were created on paper to authorise e-payments, diverting funds into unauthorised accounts.

Following the shocking revelations, disciplinary action has been initiated. In Seoni district, which witnessed the highest amount of fraud, four government employees, including a tehsildar and a naib tehsildar, have been suspended, while an FIR has been registered against another employee. In Sheopur, a district-level committee has been set up to identify those involved in the fraud. In Shivpuri, where relief funds meant for drought victims were siphoned off, one government staff has been suspended, and three others have been booked.