Chhota Rajan's key associate acquitted in '91 murder bid case

MUMBAI: A key associate of gangster Chhota Rajan, who had been absconding for 32 years before being arrested last month, was acquitted in an attempt to murder case from 1991. The victim and his wife, eyewitnesses to the alleged firing incident, did not support the prosecution's case and failed to identify the accused before court.

The 58-year-old accused, Raju Chiknya alias Vilas Pawar, was wanted in multiple cases, including murder, kidnapping, and illegal possession of weapons. "So far, as the evidence regarding involvement of the accused in the incident is concerned, it is not established by prosecution. In the entire testimony, Shaukat Ali (injured) and Marianbi, the eyewitness, have not supported the prosecution's case on the point of identity. Hence, there are two possibilities, either the witnesses are won over by the accused or the accused are really not concerned with the incident and their names were given by the prosecution witnesses because of enmity..." the judge said, adding, while prosecution case may be true, it has failed to travel the distance between 'may be true' and 'must be true'.

Hence, benefit of doubt deserves to be granted to the accused, the judge said.