In its detailed judgment acquitting gangster Chhota Rajan in the murder of 1993 blasts accused and film producer Hanif Kadawala, the special court has said that “a different story” brought on record by the CBI, claiming that Kadawala's brother was behind the murder, had given Rajan the benefit of doubt. Rajan and Jagannath Jaiswal, who was booked for shooting Kadawala in 2001, were acquitted by a special court last week. Last year, the court had received an application by Kadawala's son claiming that the hit was ordered by his uncle over a property dispute. The court had, however, rejected the plea stating that there was no such claim made for 16 years since the murder and it was difficult to gather what had prompted the family to claim so now. The CBI had submitted before the court that there was no evidence to link Rajan to the case. “.altogether different story is brought on record by the prosecution (CBI) which ultimately is beneficial to the defence and particularly to accused (Rajan),” special judge AT Wankhede said. It also said that the evidence of the eyewitness who was present in the office when three men had allegedly entered to shoot Kadawala had discrepancies. Rajan and others were booked in the case initially with the police claiming that after the gangster separated from Dawood Ibrahim, he had taken it upon himself to eliminate those involved in the 1993 blasts to gain public sympathy. The court said that there was nothing to show a conspiracy was hatched by Rajan in this case.
