After Ravi Pujari’s detention, extortion calls witness a drop

THEREAREATOTALOF 49 CASES REGISTERED AGAINST PUJARI IN MUMBAI SINCE 1994

MUMBAI: Crime branch sources claim the detention of fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari in Senegal has resulted in a drastic drop in extortion threats, with the underworld fearing they will be detected the way Pujari was. Pujari, who had evaded the law for the past two decades, was detained on January 9 in Dakar after a tip-off from Indian investigative agencies. The process to extradite him has been initiated by the Indian government.

A senior crime branch official, requesting anonymity, said that the number of extortion calls made to businessmen in the city by underworld satraps dropped dramatically after the news of Pujari’s detention broke. The police believe fugitive gangsters fear their locations will be revealed if they make calls to targets. “There hasn’t been a single extortion call (or complaint) reported in the last month or so following Pujari’s detention,” said the official. “Like the other fugitive extortionists, Pujari too was using VOIP (voice over internet protocol system) to make extortion demands as it is difficult to track the location of the caller. However, after he was hounded down through electronic surveillance by Indian intelligence agencies, that impunity no longer holds good,” he said.

On an average, the anti-extortion cell (AEC) of Mumbai police’s crime branch receives around 18-20 complaints every month. Until 2012, the average was between 30 and 35 and prior to 2005, the number was between 60 and 70. The steadily falling numbers are attributed to key underworld operatives being arrested, like Chhota Rajan who was deported from Indonesia in 2015 and is currently serving time in Taloja Jail, Navi Mumbai. However, smaller operatives like Pujari, Hemant Pujari, Guru Satam, Ejaz Lakhdawala, Suresh Pujari and others continue extortion operations.

Meanwhile, the crime branch has submitted a dossier of 18 cases to the state home department. The home department will submit them to the ministry of home affairs, which is expected to forward them to the Senegalese government to facilitate his extradition.