Chhota Rajan granted bail in 2009 attempt-to-murder case involving ex-Shiv Sena leader

MUMBAI: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Wednesday granted bail to gangster Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan in connection with a 2009 attempt-to-murder case involving former Shiv Sena leader Ajay Bhosale. The case has resurfaced in public discourse due to its alleged links to the grandfather of the 17-year-old boy involved in the 2024 Pune Porsche hit-and-run.

Special CBI judge A M Patil, while granting bail, observed that Rajan’s custody was not required for the further conduct of the trial. “If the applicant is released on bail, no impediment would be caused to the prosecution,” the court said.

The case dates back to a family feud between two Pune-based brothers over the division of property. One of the brothers allegedly approached Rajan to mediate and exert pressure on the other sibling through Bhosale, who was reportedly close to the latter. When Bhosale—who was contesting the 2009 Maharashtra Assembly elections—refused to intervene, Rajan’s client allegedly instructed him to have Bhosale eliminated.

On October 11, 2009, a hitman allegedly connected to Rajan opened fire on Bhosale’s car in Pune. While Bhosale escaped unharmed, his driver sustained injuries. The case, initially registered at Bund Garden police station, was handed over to the CBI in 2015 after a notification from the Union Government.

The matter gained renewed attention last year after it emerged that the builder who allegedly hired Rajan was the grandfather of the teenager involved in the Pune Porsche crash, which killed two IT professionals—Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta.

Rajan’s counsel argued there was no evidence linking him to the attempted killing. The prosecution, however, opposed the bail plea, describing it as a delaying tactic in a trial nearing conclusion. The prosecution highlighted Rajan’s status as the head of a criminal syndicate and noted that he had evaded arrest for over two decades before being extradited from Indonesia in 2015.

However, the court ruled that Rajan is deemed to be in judicial custody under its jurisdiction, as all cases against him have been consolidated under the special court. It also noted that the main accused in the case—the builder—is already out on bail, along with several others.