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Jaya Shetty Murder Case: Supreme Court Cancels Chhota Rajan's Bail
Mumbai, September 17, 2025: The Supreme Court has canceled the bail granted by the Bombay High Court in October 2024 to notorious gangster Chhota Rajan, who is serving a life sentence in the 2001 murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty. While giving this landmark decision, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta of the Supreme Court expressed strong displeasure over Chhota Rajan's criminal background and his history of being a fugitive for 27 years.
History of the Case
Jaya Shetty, who was the owner of the Golden Crown Hotel in Mumbai's Gamdevi area, was shot dead by two unidentified persons on May 4, 2001. The investigation into the murder was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as it was one of the total 71 cases against Chhota Rajan. During the investigation, it was revealed that Jaya Shetty was receiving extortion calls from Hemant Pujari, a member of Chhota Rajan's gang. He was killed for not paying the ransom.
In this case, the CBI convicted Chhota Rajan and four others under the Maharashtra Controlled Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in May 2024 and sentenced them to life imprisonment. This was Chhota Rajan's second life sentence, he had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder case of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011.
Bombay High Court Decision
On October 23, 2024, a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan of the Bombay High Court granted bail to Chhota Rajan and suspended his life sentence. The High Court argued that there was no concrete evidence against Chhota Rajan in this case and that the CBI had closed 47 out of 71 cases against him as no evidence was found. In addition, the High Court had noted that the MCOCA court had given its decision mainly relying on the confessions of other accused and circumstantial evidence.
The Bombay High Court had granted bail to Chhota Rajan on a bond of Rs 1 lakh, but he had to remain in jail for other offences.
Supreme Court intervention
The CBI had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court's decision. On 17 September 2025, the Supreme Court, while hearing the petition, challenged Chhota Rajan's bail and stay of sentence. Justice Sandeep Mehta remarked, "A man who has been convicted four times and has been absconding for 27 years... why should the sentence of such a person be stayed?"
Chhota Rajan's lawyers argued that there was no evidence against him in this case and that the CBI had closed 47 out of 71 cases due to lack of evidence. However, they accepted that Chhota Rajan had earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. Following this confession, the Supreme Court cancelled Chhota Rajan's bail and re-imposed his sentence.
Chhota Rajan's criminal history
Chhota Rajan, whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, is a notorious name in the Mumbai underworld. After breaking ties with Dawood Ibrahim in the 1990s, he formed his own gang. He was involved in several serious crimes such as extortion, murder and organized crime. He was arrested in Bali, Indonesia, in 2015 with the help of international police and extradited to India. The Maharashtra government then handed over all the cases against him to the CBI.
Chhota Rajan is currently serving a life sentence in Delhi's Tihar Jail for the Jyotirmoy Dey murder case. The legal action against him has become even tougher due to his conviction in the Jaya Shetty murder case.
Mumbai, September 17, 2025: The Supreme Court has canceled the bail granted by the Bombay High Court in October 2024 to notorious gangster Chhota Rajan, who is serving a life sentence in the 2001 murder case of hotelier Jaya Shetty. While giving this landmark decision, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta of the Supreme Court expressed strong displeasure over Chhota Rajan's criminal background and his history of being a fugitive for 27 years.
History of the Case
Jaya Shetty, who was the owner of the Golden Crown Hotel in Mumbai's Gamdevi area, was shot dead by two unidentified persons on May 4, 2001. The investigation into the murder was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as it was one of the total 71 cases against Chhota Rajan. During the investigation, it was revealed that Jaya Shetty was receiving extortion calls from Hemant Pujari, a member of Chhota Rajan's gang. He was killed for not paying the ransom.
In this case, the CBI convicted Chhota Rajan and four others under the Maharashtra Controlled Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in May 2024 and sentenced them to life imprisonment. This was Chhota Rajan's second life sentence, he had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder case of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011.
Bombay High Court Decision
On October 23, 2024, a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan of the Bombay High Court granted bail to Chhota Rajan and suspended his life sentence. The High Court argued that there was no concrete evidence against Chhota Rajan in this case and that the CBI had closed 47 out of 71 cases against him as no evidence was found. In addition, the High Court had noted that the MCOCA court had given its decision mainly relying on the confessions of other accused and circumstantial evidence.
The Bombay High Court had granted bail to Chhota Rajan on a bond of Rs 1 lakh, but he had to remain in jail for other offences.
Supreme Court intervention
The CBI had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court's decision. On 17 September 2025, the Supreme Court, while hearing the petition, challenged Chhota Rajan's bail and stay of sentence. Justice Sandeep Mehta remarked, "A man who has been convicted four times and has been absconding for 27 years... why should the sentence of such a person be stayed?"
Chhota Rajan's lawyers argued that there was no evidence against him in this case and that the CBI had closed 47 out of 71 cases due to lack of evidence. However, they accepted that Chhota Rajan had earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. Following this confession, the Supreme Court cancelled Chhota Rajan's bail and re-imposed his sentence.
Chhota Rajan's criminal history
Chhota Rajan, whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, is a notorious name in the Mumbai underworld. After breaking ties with Dawood Ibrahim in the 1990s, he formed his own gang. He was involved in several serious crimes such as extortion, murder and organized crime. He was arrested in Bali, Indonesia, in 2015 with the help of international police and extradited to India. The Maharashtra government then handed over all the cases against him to the CBI.
Chhota Rajan is currently serving a life sentence in Delhi's Tihar Jail for the Jyotirmoy Dey murder case. The legal action against him has become even tougher due to his conviction in the Jaya Shetty murder case.
History of the Case
Jaya Shetty, who was the owner of the Golden Crown Hotel in Mumbai's Gamdevi area, was shot dead by two unidentified persons on May 4, 2001. The investigation into the murder was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as it was one of the total 71 cases against Chhota Rajan. During the investigation, it was revealed that Jaya Shetty was receiving extortion calls from Hemant Pujari, a member of Chhota Rajan's gang. He was killed for not paying the ransom.
In this case, the CBI convicted Chhota Rajan and four others under the Maharashtra Controlled Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in May 2024 and sentenced them to life imprisonment. This was Chhota Rajan's second life sentence, he had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder case of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011.
Bombay High Court Decision
On October 23, 2024, a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan of the Bombay High Court granted bail to Chhota Rajan and suspended his life sentence. The High Court argued that there was no concrete evidence against Chhota Rajan in this case and that the CBI had closed 47 out of 71 cases against him as no evidence was found. In addition, the High Court had noted that the MCOCA court had given its decision mainly relying on the confessions of other accused and circumstantial evidence.
The Bombay High Court had granted bail to Chhota Rajan on a bond of Rs 1 lakh, but he had to remain in jail for other offences.
Supreme Court intervention
The CBI had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court's decision. On 17 September 2025, the Supreme Court, while hearing the petition, challenged Chhota Rajan's bail and stay of sentence. Justice Sandeep Mehta remarked, "A man who has been convicted four times and has been absconding for 27 years... why should the sentence of such a person be stayed?"
Chhota Rajan's lawyers argued that there was no evidence against him in this case and that the CBI had closed 47 out of 71 cases due to lack of evidence. However, they accepted that Chhota Rajan had earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey. Following this confession, the Supreme Court cancelled Chhota Rajan's bail and re-imposed his sentence.
Chhota Rajan's criminal history
Chhota Rajan, whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, is a notorious name in the Mumbai underworld. After breaking ties with Dawood Ibrahim in the 1990s, he formed his own gang. He was involved in several serious crimes such as extortion, murder and organized crime. He was arrested in Bali, Indonesia, in 2015 with the help of international police and extradited to India. The Maharashtra government then handed over all the cases against him to the CBI.
Chhota Rajan is currently serving a life sentence in Delhi's Tihar Jail for the Jyotirmoy Dey murder case. The legal action against him has become even tougher due to his conviction in the Jaya Shetty murder case.
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