NEW DELHI: In a significant ruling on Monday, a special court in Mumbai acquitted gangster Chhota Rajan in the 2011 killing of the driver/bodyguard of Iqbal Kaskar, the brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Special Judge A M Patil, designated under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), made the decision to acquit Rajan.
Rajan, who is currently incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar jail, appeared before the court via videoconference. The court officially informed him of his acquittal in the case.
The court stated that Rajan would be released immediately if he is not implicated in any other crimes or cases. The incident in question occurred on May 17, 2011, when two individuals opened fire on Arif Abunakar Sayyad in south Mumbai. Sayyad served as the driver and bodyguard of Iqbal Hasan Shaikh Ibrahim Shaikh Kaskar, the younger brother of the notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
According to the police, the murder was allegedly orchestrated by Rajan, who faced charges of murder and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, MCOCA, and Arms Act. Despite this acquittal, Rajan will remain in custody as he is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey.
Furthermore, Rajan is still entangled in other criminal cases and is awaiting trial. Additional details regarding the court’s decision will be provided at a later time.
