1996 murder case: Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala gets life term, Chhota Rajan acquitted

Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat had submitted to the court that after the murder, two policemen on patrolling duty in the same area, had noticed two men moving hurriedly. One of them had part of his pant soaking in blood. The policemen chased them and found they were armed with revolvers. They were first taken to the civic-run St George Hospital for treatment. Subsequently, information was received about the shootout and they were arrested after a probe. It was submitted before the court that one of the men was Lakdawala.

SPP Gharat submitted that forensic analysis showed the revolver that had been seized from Lakdawala by the policemen matched the bullets found in the victim’s body. He also said the firearm had misfired, causing Lakdawala to get injured who was then caught by the police. While the other accused arrested with him was acquitted in a separate earlier trial, Gharat told the court that since the forensic match was with Lakdawala’s revolver, there was strong evidence to convict him.

Special Judge A M Patil pronounced Lakdawala guilty on charges including murder of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act.

In his defence, Lakdawala had said that there were no eyewitnesses to prove that it was he who had murdered Farid. He had also submitted that he was falsely implicated even though he had no connection to the case.

Regarding Rajan, the CBI had said that he was involved in the conspiracy to commit the murder. Rajan had said that there was no evidence to show that he was in any manner connected to the murder. The court cleared him of all charges in the case. Rajan is however currently serving a life sentence in jail for the murder of journalist J Dey, an appeal against which is pending in the Bombay High Court. Lakdawala, who had been absconding, was re-arrested in 2020. He too had other pending cases against him.