Gangster Chhota Rajan's First Picture In 9 Years Out

The first picture of jailed gangster Chhota Rajan in years has surfaced online, indicating that he is alive.

The image depicts him in good health, putting to rest speculations of his demise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rajan is presently lodged in a high-security cell in Jail No 2 of Tihar Jail.

This is the first picture of the gangster since his arrest in 2015.

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were reports which claimed that Rajan was dead after a fellow inmate in his jail died due to the contagious disease.

Don-turned-politician Shahabuddin from Bihar had died in May 2020 following which rumours were doing rounds that Rajan had passed away. However, the officials never responded to the reports.

Rajan, once a right-hand man of Dawood Ibrahim, is also accused in 70 murder cases and numerous attempted murders. Allegedly, Rajan funds a social organization named "Sahyadri Krida Mandal," which coordinates the Ganesh Utsav in Tilaknagar, Rajan's hometown. His wife and two daughters continue to reside in Tilaknagar.

Rajan was arrested in Bali by Indonesian authorities on 25 October 2015.

After 27 years on the run, Rajan was extradited from Bali to India on 6 November 2015 and is presently awaiting trial for ongoing cases while in custody. On 2 May 2018, he was convicted of the murder of a journalist and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

He split with Dawood Ibrahim in the early 90s and there were frequent clashes between the two gangs.

Chhota Rajan was born into a family residing in the Tilaknagar area of Chembur, Bombay. He began his career as a cinema ticket vendor in his early years and gradually transitioned into petty criminal activities in Chembur. His introduction to the black market for cinema tickets at Sahakar Cinema Ashok Theatre in the 1980s came through his mentor, Bada Rajan.

Under the guidance of Bada Rajan and Yadagiri from Hyderabad, Rajan honed his criminal skills. Following Bada Rajan's demise, Nikalje ascended to the leadership role and earned the moniker "Chhota Rajan."