After more than 10 hours onboard a special plane, Chhota Rajan finally landed in Delhi IGI Airport during the early hours of Friday. He was quickly whisked away by authorities to an undisclosed location.
Rajan had last set foot on Indian soil 27 years ago, but ran his crime syndicates in the country remotely from Dubai and later parts of South East Asia.
Before he boarded the flight to India on Thursday evening, amidst a flurry of camera flashes, he gave yet another candid video byte.
He told the assembled media persons, “I am happy about returning to India,” while he was being escorted out of Denpasar police station.
Massive security arrangements were made on the part of the Indonesian authorities with specially armed commandos and a bullet proof vehicle for the former Dawood aide.
The Indian authorities had already fulfilled the formalities of deportation of the notorious gangster wanted in more than 75 serious crimes ranging from murder and extortion to drug trafficking, but were stranded in Bali due to unfavourable weather conditions.
He was scheduled to reach India on Tuesday but a volcanic eruption led the Indonesian authorities to close down Ngurah Rai International Airport which had caused the delay.
Earlier on October 25, Rajan was arrested by the local police after being tipped off by Australian intelligence agencies.
According to some, Chhota Rajan might have staged this arrest as he was wary of his health and had fears of being eliminated by members of the rival gang headed by Chhota Shakeel while some feel he had helped Indian agencies to get closer to Dawood.
Rajan, who started out as a petty cinema ticket fraudster, graduated over the years to become a trusted associate of the notorious D-Company headed by Dawood Ibrahim. However, the romance got over soon after the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts which turned the old friends into foes. Rajan, soon established himself as a Hindu don after he killed a Nepali MP Mirza Dishad Beg, allegedly for his anti-India activities.
His arrest has caused nothing less than a huge media frenzy with each and every major national channel having reporters in Bali even before deportation talks were finalized. Unlike politicians or celebrities who usually avoid the cameras, Rajan chose to be very camera friendly, almost a natural as if he enjoys it.
Here’s a look at the 5 most quotable quotes that spiced up the news story ever since his arrest:
1. I am not afraid of Dawood or anyone
2. I don’t trust Mumbai police; some Mumbai cops work with Dawood
3. Dawood is in Pakistan with ISI’s help
4. I have fought against terrorism all my life.
5. I am happy to be back to my motherland.