(Image source from: })

Chhota Rajan, one of the most wanted criminals of India and a fugitive underworld don, was arrested in Indonesia on Sunday. The leading figure in the Mumbai underworld is believed to being deported to India by the Indonesian authorities.

The underworld don who was arrested at Bali has gained public attention and sympathy after parting from Dawood Ibrahim gang by condemning it for carrying out 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai.

CBI spokesperson Devpreet Singh said, “It is a major success. The CBI had been pursuing the matter with the Australian authorities and this led to Rajan’s arrest by the Bali Police.” According to a senior officer, the Australian authorities were alerted by the CBI about the presence of Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan in their country and his planned trip to Bali.

The Indonesian police, who were tipped off by the Australian authorities from Canberra, had intercepted Rajan as soon as he landed at Denpasar airport in Bali. The basis of his arrests was an Interpol red-corner notice issued in 1995 against the 55-year-old gangster for committing criminal acts like running an organized crime syndicate, murder, conspiracy etc. An Indian passport issued in the name of Mohan Kumar was seized by the police. Rajan was a suspect in more than 20 murder cases. He had been living for past seven years in Australia under some name and flew out from Sydney to Bali on board a Garuda Indonesia flight.

-Sumana