It looks like underworld don Chhota Rajan's deportation to India will take some while. According to sources, Rajan's deportation has been further delayed because of volcanic eruption in Bali. The airport will remain shut and his deportation has been delayed till further notice.
Even at the earliest, Chhota Rajan can only be brought back by Thursday. He was supposed to take off from Bali at 8:30pm on Tuesday but his flight was cancelled due to the fly ash which erupted near the Lombard island in Indonesia.
55-year-old Rajan was to be taken to India by a special aircraft tonight but he continued to be in detention in Denpasar.
The Indian agencies were keen that the deportation takes place at the earliest and had put in a request to Indonesian authorities on Sunday itself, sources said. The process of deportation in such cases can take one to two days, a source said.
Rajan, whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, was wanted in India for several years and was arrested following a tip off from Australian authorities. An Indian Police team, which arrived in Bali on Sunday, has completed all formalities for taking custody of Rajan and flying him to India, where he is one of the most wanted criminals.
Rajan is wanted in over 75 heinous crimes ranging from murder, extortion to smuggling and drug trafficking. Rajan was arrested in Bali on the basis of a Red Corner Notice from Interpol and following a tip off by Australian authorities to the police in Indonesia.
In 2000, there was an attempt on Rajan's life when his arch rival and India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim's men tracked him down to a hotel in Bangkok but he managed a dramatic escape.
In the absence of an extradition treaty, the Indian authorities have already provided documents to their Indonesian counterparts about his Indian identity to facilitate his deportation.
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