Gangster Ravi Pujari likely to be produced in Mumbai court today

Pujari was extradited to India in February last year but was taken to Karnataka, where the most cases were lodged against him

Almost a year after his extradition to India, gangster Ravi Pujari is being brought to Mumbai from Karnataka. Pujari is likely to be produced before a designated court for the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Tuesday.

Ravi Pujari being brought to Bengaluru after he was arrested and extradited from the west African country of Senegal, in 2020. (ANI)

Pujari was extradited to India in February last year but was taken to Karnataka, where the most cases were lodged against him. Last week, a Karnataka court granted permission to Mumbai Police to take Pujari into custody in connection with a case of firing outside Gajalee Hotel on October 22, 2016 in Vile Parle.

As per the prosecution, a few of Pujari’s men fired at the complainant to intimidate the owner of the hotel. The prosecution alleged that the men gave the hotel owner a chit with Pujari’s number and asked him to call Pujari or they would kill him.

Pujari is wanted in connection with 51 cases in Mumbai, including murder, extortion and shoot-outs over the past 24 years. Of the 51 cases, Mumbai Police has invoked the provisions of MCOCA in 20 cases.

This was Mumbai Police’s second attempt to get custody of Pujari. They tried to take him into custody last year but due to technical glitches in his extradition process, Mumbai had to wait for few more months to get him.