Bombay High Court upholds life sentence awarded to 2 Chhota Rajan gang members for 2010 double murder

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld the conviction and life sentence of two members of the Chhota Rajan gang in a 2010 double murder case, stating that the trial court's judgment was "well-reasoned and legally sound ".

A court here in August 2022 convicted Mohammed Ali Shaikh and Pranay Rane for murder, criminal conspiracy and offences under the Arms Act while acquitting Rajan and two others for lack of evidence. A division bench of justices Neela Gokhale and Revati Dere on Tuesday dismissed the appeals filed by Shaikh and Rane.

"The evidence on record, when assessed in its entirety, establishes the guilt of the appellants beyond reasonable doubt, " the bench said. As per the police, represented by special prosecutor Pradeep Gharat, four men opened fire on Asif Khan, an alleged aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, at a spot near the J J Marg police station in the city on February 13, 2010. Khan managed to escape, but Shakeel Modak and Asif Qureshi, who were there to meet Khan, sustained bullet injuries and died on the spot.