Chhota Rajan aide sentenced to life imprisonment

Mumbai, May 14 (UNI) A local court today sentenced a close aide of underworld don Chhota Rajan to life imprisonment in a 1993 kidnapping for ransom and assault case.

Pronouncing the judgement here, Additional Session Court Judge B M Jethani said accused Venkat Reddy alias Baba Reddy (26) committed an offence punishable under section 364(a) r/w 34, 365 r/w 34, 387 r/w 34, 325 r/w 34 and 506 (ii) r/w 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) to suffer life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 60,000 In default, he will have to undergo further RI for one year.

Additional Public Prosecutor Jagannath Kenjalkar said on November 23, 1993 that the accused and his two other associates had kidnapped Afzal Ramzanali Devjani, a businessman from Dongri in south Mumbai, and took him to Jogeshwari, From there they brought him to Ghatkopar. Devjani had called up the victim's residence and demanded Rs five lakh as a ransom to release him. Thereafter, they assaulted him dumead him in a public toilet and fled away. The victim took a taxi and came back home.

Reddy had been absconding while his two associates were arrested and convicted by another court about two years ago.

When city police learnt that Reddy was in Hyderabad Jail in some other case, they brought him here on transit remand in 2004 and the prosecution filed a fresh chargesheet against him under section 364.

After examining 12 witnesses, including the investigating officer, the court convicted Reddy.

UNI