Want Rajan to spill beans on gang's operations: Mumbai police

Following the arrest of 55-year-old underworld don Rajendra Nikhalje alias Chhota Rajan, the Mumbai police on Monday claimed that the Rajan gang would suffer a severe jolt, but the arrest would also provide a mine of information about the gang, rival Dawood Ibrahim and other underworld gangs operating outside India. The police are also keen to know why senior crime journalists J Dey, his former associate Farid Tanasha and others were attacked.

"This (Rajan gang) was the only gang active for a long time. They will now get neutralised after the arrest of the gang leader," said a Mumbai police officer, requesting anonymity.

According to the officer, up to now Rajan killed journalists, political leaders and his rivals freely, as he was always under the impression that he would never get caught. "Since Rajan has been arrested now, is in police custody and will eventually land in jail he will not be able to call the shots like he used to from foreign soil," the officer said.

Another police officer said that Rajan would provide a mine of information about the underworld. "He has been on the run for over a decade now. While being on the run he has managed to carry out several underworld activities in Mumbai. We want to know how he operated from abroad, who his associates were and whether he enjoyed the patronage of influential people in Mumbai," said the officer.

Police sources said that apart from extorting builders Rajan also had a huge interest in the real-estate market of Mumbai.

"We also want to know who tipped him off in Mumbai. It has come to our notice that for the past few years Rajan has been showing interest in Mumbai's real-estate. He has been involved in grabbing land, settling land disputes and partnerships with builders. In some cases he had taken 20 per cent partnership with builders and had even financed projects. We want him to spill the beans on his links with the builder lobby," the officer said.

The police also want to know who Rajan's contacts were and who gave him arms. "In the past we have seen that members and shooters of Rajan's gang had easy accessibility to weapons for operations in Mumbai," said the officer.