Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje (62), alias Chhota Rajan, has earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection to the murder of journalist J Dey and is at present lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi. The Crime Branch of Pune City police arrested an absconding criminal allegedly linked to the Chhota Rajan gang. He was evading arrest for the last six years.
The Pune police have handed over 56-year-old Parmanand Thakkar to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing multiple offences against Rajan and his crime syndicate.
Thakkar, who is a real estate agent, is accused of demanding Rs 26 crore from a builder in Navi Mumbai in 2015.
In the first week of January, a court in Mumbai has convicted Rajan and three others linked to his gang in the extortion case and sentenced them to two years jail. Thakkar is also an accused in at least five cases involving charges of cheating and forgery.
– Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Follow Express Pune on Twitter here and on Facebook here. You can also join our Express Pune Telegram channel here.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bachchan Singh said, “Inspector Sunil Takawale of Unit 1 of the Crime Branch and his team got confidential information of whereabouts of Parmanand Thakkar, an absconder linked to Chhota Rajan gang. He was apprehended on Tuesday from Kondhwa. There are total 6 offences against Thakkar. After verification, he has been handed over to CBI’s Special Crime cell for further legal action.”
The Navi Mumbai builder said that he had received the extortion call between August and October 2015, in connection with a deal of a prime property in Pune. The court in Mumbai has on January 4 convicted Rajan, Suresh Shinde, Ashok Nikam and Sumit Mhatre in the case.
Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje (62), alias Chhota Rajan, has earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection to the murder of journalist J Dey and is at present lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi. He was extradited to India from Bali in 2015 and is facing prosecution in multiple cases including those of murder, extortion to smuggling and drug trafficking which are being investigated by the CBI.