Court summons 3 officials in Chhota Rajan's case

New Delhi, Feb 5: Three retired public servants, who were chargesheeted along with underworld don Chhota Rajan in an alleged fake passport case, have been summoned on March 14 by a Delhi court.

Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar summoned the three accused after taking cognisance of the CBI's charge sheet in the case, as it observed that since these public servants have already retired, no sanction under section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act was required to be taken before proceeding against them.

According to the CBI, Rajan had got his first fake passport issued from Bengaluru on January 1, 1998 allegedly in connivance with then passport officers -- Jay Shree Rahate, Deepak Natvarlal Shah and Lalitha Laxamanan -- in the name of a fictitious person, Mohan Kumar.

During the hearing, Rajan who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail here under judicial custody, was produced before court through video conferencing and informed that a charge sheet has been filed against him in the case.

"Accused Rajendra Sada Shiv Nikhalje alias Chhota Rajan has been informed that charge sheet has been filed and cognizance has been taken.Let all the documents be supplied to accused Rajendra Sada Shiv Nikhalje in jail. Issue summons to remaining accused persons for March 14," the court noted in its order.

According to the CBI, Rajan had allegedly got his passport issued twice from Indian missions abroad on the basis of a fake travel document issued to him in the name of Mohan Kumar from the Bengaluru passport office in 1998.

PTI