CMM orders CBI probe into Rajan Pillai’s death

NEW DELHI, May 24: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been directed to investigate the alleged criminal conspiracy leading to the murder of biscuit baron Rajan Pillai and file its report by September 30.

The order was passed by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Prem Kumar today taking cognizance of the complaint made by Pillai’s wife Nina Pillai. She had accused self styled tantrik Chandraswamy, industrialist Nusli Wadia, one-time Pillai’s partner Fredrick Ross Johnson and Rakesh Saxena, former advisor to Bangkok Bank of Commerce of “hatching a conspiracy” to “murder” Rajan Pillai when they fell out. She alleged that Chandraswamy had used his “contacts” with former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao in the conspiracy.

Highlighting the “complex modes of business deviance” in his 10-page order, CMM Prem Kumar referred to the nature of business rivalry between Pillai and others.

He stated that the CBI was the only competent agency which could investigate the complex case in view of the “alleged crimes committed at various places; the known and the unknown accused spread in the country and overseas.”