Maharashtra government will ask CBI to give list officers in touch with Dawood

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government is going to get a list of senior police officials in the state who were allegedly in touch with underworld gangster and 1993 Mumbai blasts accussed Dawood Ibrahim.

A Senior Maharashtra Home Department official on Monday said that they have come to know that Deepak Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chotta Rajan had given the names of these police officials who were working for Dawood to the CBI team who were interrogating him.

“We have come to know that a list of 14 police officials was given by Rajan to the CBI. We are in the process of getting that list.”said the senior state government official on condition of anonymity.

The Senior state government official's claim is significant as in the past Rajan has frequently been accusing top Mumbai police officials of being in cahoots with his arch rival Dawood.

However reacting to it both Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Police Commissioner Javed Ahmed have spoken of how they won't take cognizance of what a gangster like Rajan says.

Rajan reiterated his allegations even after he was caught and this is believed to be one of the main reasons why Rajan was not brought to Mumbai in spite of the fact that a majority of the cases against him have been lodged in Mumbai. The Maharashtra government also decided that all cases pertaining to Rajan would be handed over to the CBI.

Maharashtra's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) KP Bakshi has tried to give a spin to the state handing over cases to the CBI by claiming that since cases pertaining to Rajan have international ramifications it is better that the CBI handles it.

A Mumbai police officer reacted angrily to the state government's decision to get the list. " He should also name those police officers who were on his pay roll and the state should take action against those too."said the senior police officer.