Rajan aide off the hook in bookie's murder case

Court acquitted gangster Chhota Rajan's aide of murdering bookie Chhote Miyan because of lack of proof

Crime Branch had to backtrack on its claims about the involvement of gangster Chhota Rajan's aide, Zafar Khan, alias Abbas, in killing bookie Chhote Miyan because of lack of evidence as a metropolitan magistrate court discharged the alleged aide on Friday.

As the police could not find enough evidence to support its claims, they filed an application seeking Abass's discharge.

He was arrested in July this year for murdering gangster Farid Tanasha and was then booked for Chhote Miyan's murder.

Sources said this was a big blow to the investigation as Miyan's killers are still at large. "The police could not produce any evidence against Zafar to indicate his involvement in the murder," said a source.

Abbas, though, is facing trial for his involvement in the murder of Tanasha and is lodged at Arthur Road prison.

Police had earlier suspected that gangster Chhota Rajan had ordered Miyan's murder possibly after he sufferedu00a0 bettng losses in a T20 cricket match in 2009.

Miyan had accepted bets totalling Rs 25 crore for a T20 match and Rajan had put in his money. But the latter did not get a favourable result.

Currently, Abbas is believed to have switched underworld allegiances and joined hands with gangster Bharat Nepali.