Jakarta: Underworld Don Chhota Rajan has been arrested in Indonesia after decades on the run.
An Indian fugitive wanted over a series of murders has been arrested after decades on the run, police said Monday.
Acting on a tip-off from Australian police, Indonesian authorities detained Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje on Sunday as he arrived in the popular resort island of Bali from Sydney, Bali police spokesman Heri Wiyanto said.
CBI director Anil Sinha has confirmed Rajan’s arrest saying Chhota Rajan arrested at CBI’s request made through Interpol.
The 55-year-old Nikalje, an alleged crime boss, had been on the run for two decades, Wiyanto said, with Interpol flagging him as a wanted man back in 1995.
“We received information from police in Canberra yesterday (Sunday) about the red notice for a murderer,” he said.
“We arrested the man at the airport yesterday. What we know is that this man was suspected to have carried out 15 to 20 murders in India.”
Bali police were coordinating with Interpol and Indian authorities, Wiyanto said, adding it was likely Nikalje would be deported to India.
A spokesperson for Australian Federal Police said Interpol in Canberra had alerted Indonesian authorities “who apprehended Nikalje at the request of Indian authorities”.
The federal police confirmed last month that Nikalje was living in Australia under another identity and had been in discussions with Indian authorities, the spokesperson said, but would not provide further details.
Interpol’s website states that Nikalje was born in Mumbai, and was wanted for multiple charges including murder and possession and use of illegal firearms.
Confirming the reports of his arrest, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that it is official and we have captured Chhota Rajan. The identification process is on.
Indonesian authorities on Monday confirmed that they will deport Chotta Rajan shortly after arresting the alleged organised crime boss on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
Bali police spokesman Heri Wiyanto said, police were questioning Rajan in Bali police headquarter in Denpasar, the provincial capital, and coordinating with Indian diplomats for a deportation process.
Rajan held an Indian passport when he arrived in Denpasar, about 968 kilometres east of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
“This man is suspected to have been involved in more than 20 murders in India, we will deport him this week,” said Wiyanto.
Another official, the Denpasar Police chief detective Reinhard Habonaran Nainggolan confirmed that Rajan arrived in Indonesia carrying a passport under the alias Mohan Kumar.
Rajan told Indonesian police that he had been hiding in Australia for seven years and flew to Bali by a Garuda Indonesia flight for vacation.
Last year, the Don (Dawood Ibrahim), the mastermind of the ghastly 1993 Mumbai attacks, was caught on tape making deals, teaching lessons, and showing who the boss is.
NewsMobile’s exclusive report based on tapes procured through western diplomatic sources shows how the man has managed to stay away from the hands of law, sitting comfortably in Pakistan’s business capital.
(With agencies inputs)