Mumbai News: Special MCOCA Court Denies Bail to Chhota Rajan in 2005 Arms Recovery Case

Mumbai | May 31, 2025 : A special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has denied bail to jailed gangster Chhota Rajan in connection with a 2005 case involving the recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition. The court, while rejecting the bail plea, observed that the trial is nearing completion and that granting bail at this stage would not be appropriate.

According to the prosecution, Rajan and his close associate Bharat Nepali had orchestrated the smuggling of a consignment from Bangkok, disguised as a shipment of 27 drums of grease. One of the drums was later found to contain 34 revolvers, three pistols, a silencer, and 1,283 live cartridges.

The case unraveled following the arrest of Mukund Patel, a henchman of Nepali, who was found in possession of a revolver and two live rounds near Lata Bar and Restaurant in Kandivali (West) on May 21, 2005. During interrogation, Patel disclosed that the weapon was part of a consignment ordered by Rajan and Nepali.

Acting on his information, investigators located the concealed arms at Nhava Sheva Port. The shipment had reportedly arrived in Mumbai on May 18, 2005, and had passed customs clearance undetected.

In his bail application, Rajan’s defense argued that he had been falsely implicated in the case and had already endured nearly a decade of incarceration since his arrest in November 2015. However, the prosecution opposed the plea, maintaining that there is substantial evidence against him, including an intercepted audio recording from September 2005 in which Rajan was allegedly identified by a police officer.

The court ruled that, given the progress of the trial, there was no reason to grant bail at this juncture. The case continues to proceed under the scrutiny of the special MCOCA court.