Indian court convicts underworld don in fake passport case

A special court here on Monday held underworld don Rajendra Sadashiv Nikhalje alias Chhota Rajan guilty of possessing a fake passport.

The court of India's premier probe agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), convicted Rajan in the fake passport case, after framing charges against him and three Indian government officials who had allegedly helped him in the crime earlier.

The charges were framed against the four under various sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by impersonation and forgery of documents.

In its chargesheet filed in the court, the CBI has said Rajan got the fake passport issued from the southern city of Bengaluru in 1998-1999 in the name of one Mohan Kumar in connivance with the three government officials.

Rajan is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, while the other three accused are out on bail. And the arguments for sentencing will start Tuesday.

The 57-year-old gangster, who is involved in over 85 cases, ranging from murder to extortion, smuggling and drug trafficking, was arrested in Indonesia in 2015 after 20 years on the run. He was subsequently deported to India.

Rajan grew up in Mumbai and reportedly became involved in petty crime as a youth before rising to lead one of the city's crime syndicates. Endit