In a pivotal development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, decisively revoked the bail previously granted to notorious gangster Chhota Rajan. This decision pertains to the 2001 murder of Mumbai-based hotelier Jaya Shetty.
The apex court’s bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, upheld the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) appeal, thereby setting aside an October 23 order from the Bombay High Court. The High Court had controversially suspended Rajan’s life sentence and granted him temporary freedom in the case.
During the proceedings, the Supreme Court expressed strong reservations about granting leniency to an individual with Rajan’s history. The Justices pointed out that Rajan had evaded capture for a staggering 27 years and already stood convicted in four separate criminal cases. “Why suspension of sentence to such a man?” the Bench questioned, underscoring the severity of his criminal record.
Rajan’s legal representative argued that the case against his client was built on “no evidence,” further noting that the CBI had closed 47 out of 71 cases previously lodged against him due to insufficient material. However, the Supreme Court was unimpressed by this defense. In a telling observation, the Bench remarked, “your name itself is big enough,” implying that Rajan’s infamous reputation carried significant weight in their assessment.
When the defense counsel highlighted Rajan’s acquittals in other cases, the Court quickly retorted that these dismissals were often due to witnesses being intimidated and failing to come forward.
Ultimately, the bench granted the CBI’s appeal, canceling Rajan’s bail bond. It was confirmed that Chhota Rajan remains in judicial custody, already serving a life sentence for his involvement in the murder of veteran crime reporter J. Dey.
To recap, a special court in May 2024 had convicted Rajan in the Jaya Shetty murder case, handing down a life imprisonment sentence. Rajan had subsequently appealed this conviction to the High Court, seeking suspension of his sentence and interim bail—a plea that the Supreme Court has now rejected.
The murder of Jaya Shetty, owner of the Golden Crown hotel in central Mumbai, occurred on May 4, 2001. He was fatally shot on the first floor of his establishment by two alleged members of Rajan’s gang. Investigations revealed that Shetty had been receiving extortion calls from Hemant Pujari, a known associate of the Chhota Rajan syndicate, and was killed after failing to meet their demands.