Indian gangster Chhota Rajan is alive? Photos of Dawood Ibrahim's main rival surface
File photo of Chhota Rajan.
Nine years after his arrest from Indonesia's Bali and subsequent extradition to India, Indian gangster Chhota Rajan's photos have surfaced, putting to question earlier reports that he had died.
In 2020, rumours circulated that Rajan, 64, (real name Rajendra Nikalje) died due to Covid, and jail authorities never commented on this.
However, according to sources cited in Indian media, Rajan is alive.
Some media outlets shared purported photos of the gangster.
However, it is to be noted that the photos are from 2020 and not later. So it cannot be conclusively stated from the photos alone if he is still alive.
The first photo shows Rajan in a healthy state, and the second shows him lying in a hospital bed. The photographs are from New Delhi's Tihar Jail, where the gangster is awaiting trial in several cases.
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Rajan started his criminal career by committing petty crimes, and went on to join Dawod Ibrahim's D Company.
Rajan was extremely close to Dawood before they split.
In 2000, there was an attempt on his life when Dawood’s men tracked him down to a hotel in Bangkok, but he managed to escape through the hotel’s roof.
(A purported image shared in Indian media, reportedly from 2020, shows Rajan in a healthy state)
The 64-year-old was arrested in 2015 in Bali.
The arrest was made based on a tip-off from the Australian police that Rajan had flown from Sydney to Bali.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the arrest was a result of close cooperation between India, Australia and Indonesia.
Rajan had been living in Australia under another identity and had reportedly been in discussions with Indian authorities for surrender.
