Mumbai’s Special MCOCA court has framed charges against gangster Chhota Rajan in J Dey murder case. Rajan has been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder and conspiracy, under relevant sections of Arms Act, Bombay Police Act and under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act – MCOCA for running an organised crime syndicate.

Special Judge SS Adkar read out the charges to Rajan, who was produced via video conferencing from Delhi’s Tihar jail. Rajan, however pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Subsequently, the court announced that the trial will begin on 7th September and has asked the prosecution to submit a schedule describing how it intends to go ahead in the case.

Earlier this month, CBI had filed its supplementary chargesheet stating that Chhota Rajan’s motive for killing J Dey was a book that the journalist was planning to write about the underworld. Apart from recorded statement of 41 witnesses; an intercepted conversation, wherein the gangster claims to accept responsibility for killing J Dey also forms a part of the evidence.

Veteran crime journalist Jyortimoy Dey was shot dead in suburban Powai on 11th June, 2011, while he was on his way home. J Dey murder case is just one of the 71 cases involving extradited gangster Chhota Rajan in Maharashtra