Mumbai Police to get Ravi Pujari’s custody on Mon
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police is set to get gangster Ravi Pujari’s custody on Monday after a special court in Karnataka sanctioned the same. Pujari has around 50 criminal cases filed against him in Mumbai of around 200 cases across India.
Earlier, efforts by Mumbai Police’s crime branch to take the gangster’s custody failed due to various legal hurdles. Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had, after taking over as commissioner last year, said that more efforts would be taken to take Pujari’s custody.
Police sources said at the time of Pujari’s extradition, authorities in Senegal, from where the gangster was extradited, were informed by Karnataka Police only about their cases. Due to this, Pujari’s lawyer opposed his custody to the Mumbai Police. However, the same was cleared after ministry of home affairs and ministry of external affairs intervened and represented their case before authorities in Senegal and sought permission for granting Pujari’s custody to Mumbai Police.
Senegal authorities then permitted Mumbai Police to take the custody and the documents were accordingly submitted before the special court in Bengaluru, which passed an order on Saturday, said officials.
Milind Bharambhe, joint commissioner of police (crime), said, “After compliance of all legal procedures, we approached a special Bengaluru court which granted Pujari’s custody to us.
Mumbai Police will get his custody on Monday, following which he will be brought to Mumbai and produced in the court.”
The anti-extortion cell (AEC) of the Mumbai Police will take Pujari’s custody in connection with an October 2016 firing case at a hotel in Vile Parle which was allegedly done on the instructions of Pujari for extortion.
Crime branch sources said a special team of officers would interrogate the gangster. Given the track record of the gangster, additional security arrangements are being made at the crime branch lock up, said a police officer.
A crime branch officer said Pujari is wanted accused in 52 cases including murder, extortion and shootouts in Mumbai over the past 24 years.