A special court on Tuesday (June 21) permitted former underworld don Chhota Rajan’s wife Sujata Nikalje to travel to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore for a vacation with her daughter.
In April, it had permitted her to go to Canada for a family function and to the US for her daughter's convocation ceremony.
Rajan, deported from Indonesia in 2015, is lodged in the high-security Tihar jail in Delhi. Rajan’s wife, who is his co-accused in a case, had sought permission to go abroad as her daughter’s vacation is from June-mid to July end.
Her advocate had argued that the case is stayed as per orders of the Bombay High Court as it is yet to hear her application for discharge in the case, hence is not expected to conclude in the near future.
The prosecution had strongly opposed her plea and told the court that she is a member of Rajan’s crime syndicate, had made extortion calls and had been involved in money laundering. If allowed to leave the country, she may abscond and never return to face trial, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the court.
Special Judge designated under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) AM Patil said in the order that it can be seen from the record that at earlier points in time, she had been allowed to travel abroad - to Hong Kong in 2017 and to Malaysia in 2019. Thus, the court said that in such circumstances, her application cannot be rejected on the grounds of apprehension of the CBI. It said that harsh conditions can be imposed on her if any foul play is suspected and directed her to deposit a security amount of Rs. 3 lakhs with the court and to remain present before it after her return from abroad.
The CBI had opposed her previous plea to go to Canada and the US too, but the court had noted that she had not breached conditions when she was permitted to travel abroad earlier and hence that she could be granted the permission.
