M A I N   N E W S

Rajan not arrested: Thai police

BANGKOK, Oct 7 (AFP) — The fate of a suspected Indian mob boss, wounded in a gangland shooting in Thailand, hung in the balance today as Indian detectives sought to prove to the Thai police that his passport was forged, an immigration official said.

“Rajan is waiting to be deported from the country. The Thai police has not arrested Rajan because the Indian Embassy until now has certified that his passport is genuine,” an immigration official who asked not to be identified said.

“Only the three policemen from Bombay are contesting that his passport is a forgery. If they submit a written document to back up their allegations, we can arrest him. But at this time he is not under offical arrest,” the official added.

The Indian police want Rajan to be returned to India to face murder and other charges related to his mob activities.

On Thursday, the immigration police had announced that Rajan would be released from detention after the Indian authorities failed to issue a formal extradition request in time.

But the arrival of three Bombay detectives later the same day and the evidence they produced over Rajan’s illegal activities apparently persuaded the Thai police to prevent the hospitalised Rajan from leaving the country until the Indian police verified their claims.

Rajan was wounded on September 15 by gunmen who burst into a Bangkok apartment and killed his associate Rohit Verma, also known as Michael d’Souza, in what appeared to a gangland shooting.

NEW DELHI: The Centre said on Saturday that it had acted “promptly” in initiating proceedings against Chhota Rajan and in sending a team of police officials to Bangkok to carry out interrogation, but was still awaiting extradition papers from the Maharashtra Government.

Reacting to reports on “delay” on the part of the Centre in launching action in the matter, the Union Home Ministry said that shortly after the Bangkok shootout, the CBI had urged the Thai police to detain Rajan on the basis of the worldwide red-corner notice issued against him.

“Extradition papers have not been received as yet from the state government,” a ministry spokesman said, adding that the CBI had on September 29 written to the Maharashtra Government requesting that necessary extradition papers be sent.