Bali: Special police commandos have been provided for the security of the Indian officials who arrived here today to expedite underworld don Chhota Rajan's deportation to India.
Special commandos of Indonesian police were already providing round-the-clock security for Rajan, who was arrested on his arrival from Australia last Sunday, sources said. Security of the Indian officals as well as Rajan, one of India's most wanted criminals, was enhanced due to the high threat perception to Rajan from rival gangs most notably of Dawood Ibrahim.
The Indian team, comprising CBI, Mumbai Police and Delhi Police officials, is also accompanied by elite commandos of Special Cell of the Delhi Police.
Mumbai-born Rajan, once a close confidant-turned-rival of underworld ganglord Dawood, has said that he is not afraid of Dawood, the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
Rajan was arrested on a Red Corner notice by Interpol after eluding law enforcement agencies for over two decades. Out of these 75 cases, Rajan is facing four cases under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), one under Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and over 20 cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
Rajan was travelling with the identity of Mohan Kumar with an Indian passport number G9273860 when he was apprehended at the airport here after arriving on a Garuda Indonesia flight GA715 by Indonesian police on a tip off from Australian authorities, they said.
The 55-year-old underworld don was arrested in Bali on the basis of a Red Corner Notice from Interpol and following a tip off by Australian authorities to the police in Indonesia.
In the absence of an extradition treaty, the Indian authorities have already provided documents to their Indonesian counterparts about Rajan's Indian identity to facilitate his deportation.
The sources said Rajan was in touch with various police officials for last six months seeking a passage to return to India as he feared for his life in Australia from Chhota Shakeel, a henchman of Dawood.
In 2000, there was an attempt on Rajan's life when Dawood's men tracked him down to a hotel in Bangkok but he managed a dramatic escape.
