 |
|
Chhota Rajan, a notorious gangster who once held sway over the Mumbai underworld, rose to prominence through a combination of ruthlessness and cunning. Born in 1956 in a humble family in Tamil Nadu, he moved to Mumbai in his early twenties and quickly became involved in the city's criminal network. He initially worked as a small-time extortionist but gradually climbed the ranks, earning a reputation for his brutality and ability to navigate the complex power dynamics of the underworld.
Rajan's rise was largely fueled by his association with the notorious D-Company, led by Dawood Ibrahim. He was a key lieutenant of D-Company and played a pivotal role in its various criminal operations, including extortion, smuggling, and contract killings. He was also instrumental in expanding D-Company's influence beyond Mumbai to other parts of India and abroad.
However, Rajan's ambition and desire for control eventually led to a rift with Dawood Ibrahim. In the late 1990s, the two powerful gangsters had a major falling out, resulting in a bitter rivalry that culminated in a bloody gang war. Rajan fled to Australia and later to Indonesia, where he continued to operate his criminal network, evading the Indian authorities for years.
The Indian government launched an intensive effort to track down Rajan and bring him to justice. In 2015, he was finally apprehended in Bali, Indonesia, and extradited to India. He was charged with a series of serious offenses, including murder, extortion, and terrorism, and was imprisoned in Tihar Jail in New Delhi.
Rajan's downfall marked the end of an era in Mumbai's underworld. His arrest and subsequent imprisonment dealt a significant blow to D-Company and weakened its hold on the city's criminal network. His story is a testament to the rise and fall of powerful figures in the world of organized crime, where ambition, ruthlessness, and betrayal are often the driving forces behind both success and ultimate ruin.
Source: From D-Company to Tihar: The rise and fall of gangster Chhota Rajan in the Mumbai underworld