An Indian police team arrived here today to seek early deportation of arrested underworld don Chhota Rajan who received consular access with an Indian diplomat meeting him at an Indonesian police detention centre in this popular tourist city.
The visit of the joint team of CBI and Mumbai and Delhi police officers comes two days after India wrote a letter to the Indonesian authorities for 55-year-old Rajan's return to face trial in various criminal cases registered against him.
Rajan was nabbed at Bali airport on his arrival from Australia on October 25. The team, which had left India in the wee hours today, has been provided security by Indonesian and Delhi Police commandos.
Earlier today, First Secretary (Consular) Sanjeev Kumar Agrawal at the Indian embassy in Jakarta met Rajan for nearly half-an-hour at the detention centre, sources said. This is for the first time an Indian official met him in prison.
Agrawal flew this morning to Bali from Jakarta and drove straight to the police centre for his meeting with Rajan, one of India's most-wanted criminals.
The consular access to Rajan comes two days after the Indonesian police submitted a report to the Indian Embassy about Rajan's detention.
"I am fighting against terrorism and will continue to do so," Rajan told a TV channel while being escorted by the Indonesian police.
When Rajan was arrested at the Bali airport, he was carrying an Indian passport with the assumed name Mohan Kumar.
Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh had said on Friday that the process relating to Rajan's deportation to India has already begun but there is no deadline for it.
Security of the Indian officals as well as that Rajan has been enhanced due to the high threat perception to Rajan from rival gangs, most notably of Dawood Ibrahim. The Indian team is also accompanied by elite commandos of Special Cell of Delhi Police.
Rajan has also hired a lawyer, Fransico Prassar, who met him at the detention centre two days ago.
The underworld don 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 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.
CBI, which has sent its officer as it is the nodal agency for Interpol in India, will hand over Rajan's custody to Mumbai Police once he is brought back.
Mumbai Police has registered 75 cases against Rajan, including 20 of murder, four cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, one under Prevention of Terrorism Act and over 20 cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. Delhi Police has got six cases against him.
Rajan was a close aide of Dawood at one point but they split after 1993 Mumbai blasts. Former officials of the security agencies have said that Rajan could have surrendered in the face of poor health and threats from Dawood and his top lieutenant Chhota Shakeel.
Sources said Rajan was in touch with various police officials for last six months seeking a passage to return to India as he felt he was under threat in Australia from Chhota Shakeel. In 2000, there was an attempt on Rajan's life when Dawood's men tracked him down to a hotel in Bangkok but he managed a dramatic escape.