The Mumbai Police have arrested Raju Vikanya alias Vilas Balram Pawar, a close associate of the notorious gangster Chhota Rajan, who has been on the run for over three decades. Pawar, wanted for multiple crimes including murder, kidnapping, and illegal possession of weapons, was apprehended in the Chembur area of Mumbai on Thursday.
Arrest Details
Mumbai Police received a tip-off about Pawar’s location and acted swiftly to apprehend him. The accused, absconding for the last 32 years, has multiple cases registered against him across various police stations in Mumbai. He was scheduled to be presented in a sessions court for further legal proceedings.
Chhota Rajan’s Legal Battles
The arrest comes in the backdrop of legal developments involving Chhota Rajan:
- In October 2024, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Rajan in the 2001 Jaya Shetty murder case, setting bail at ₹1 lakh. Rajan had earlier been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the case.
- In 2023, a special CBI court acquitted Rajan in the high-profile murder case of Mumbai trade union leader Dr. Datta Samant, who was assassinated in 1997.
- Despite these acquittals and bail, Rajan remains incarcerated as he faces trials in several other cases across the country.