Court accepts closure report in murder bid case against Chhota Rajan

A special CBI court here hasaccepted the closure report filed by the probe agency againstjailed gangster Chhota Rajan in a case of attempt to murder ofa noted journalist in 1997.In his order issued on Saturday, special judge A TWankhede cleared Rajan of all the charges due to lack ofsufficient material to proceed against him in the case.On June 12, 1997, Mumbai-based crime reporter BaljeetShersingh Parmar was severely injured after some motorcycle-borne shooters of Rajan allegedly attacked him outside abuilding in Antop Hill area here.Initially, the city police registered a case undercharges for attempt to murder.

A special CBI court here hasaccepted the closure report filed by the probe agency againstjailed gangster Chhota Rajan in a case of attempt to murder ofa noted journalist in 1997.

In his order issued on Saturday, special judge A TWankhede cleared Rajan of all the charges due to lack ofsufficient material to proceed against him in the case.

On June 12, 1997, Mumbai-based crime reporter BaljeetShersingh Parmar was severely injured after some motorcycle-borne shooters of Rajan allegedly attacked him outside abuilding in Antop Hill area here.

Initially, the city police registered a case undercharges for attempt to murder. Later, the Central Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI) took over the case.

The CBI recently filed its closure report on theground that during further probe into the case, no additionalevidence emerged against the accused.

The judge in his order said, ''On perusal of theavailable material, there is only reference in the FIR againsthim (Rajan) that previously one Dalbeer Singh received threatsfrom Rajan. Except this, there is no material to connect theaccused in this crime.'' The court further noted that CBI's investigatingofficer did not find any link to connect the accused (Rajan)with guilt and was unable to collect vital evidencespertaining to the case.

The court said it made an attempt to call theinformant - Baljeet Shersingh Parmar, but he was not traceableon the given address.

Accordingly, the CBI submitted the unserved report,the court said.

''Even otherwise, there is no sufficient material toproceed against the accused,'' the court noted while acceptingthe closure report.

Rajan, facing multiple criminal cases, is currentlylodged at the Tihar Jail in New Delhi after his deportationfrom Indonesia in October 2015.

He is an accused in around 70 cases in Maharashtra,including the case of murder of journalist J Dey in 2011.