Gangster Ravi Pujari brought to Bengaluru, in police custody till March 7

Fugitive in net: Former Dawood associate was extradited from Senegal

Gangster Ravi Pujari being produced before a magistrate in Bengaluru on February 24, 2020. DH PHOTO/JANARDHAN B K

The Karnataka police brought fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari (59), who was extradited from Senegal, to Bengaluru in the wee hours of Monday. Pujari is wanted in several cases, including murder and extortion.

He was produced before the 1st ACMM court which remanded him in police custody till March 7. A special team will investigate Pujari’s role in cases registered against him across the state.

The team headed by the Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Amar Kumar Pandey, Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Sandeep Patil, police inspector Siddappa Mallappa Bolethin and head constable Jayaprakash Chandrakanth Mohan brought Pujari to the city from Senegal in West Africa.

The Senegal Supreme Court had ordered Pujari’s extradition on February 19. He was handed over to the state police on February 22. Pujari is involved in 97 cases across Karnataka, while 47 of them are registered in Bengaluru, including murder and extortion.

Pujari is also wanted by Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala police for crimes in the respective states.

Pandey, addressing the press said, “Pujari is a known figure in the underworld. The Supreme Court of Senegal rejected the last legal option available to Pujari under the law and ordered for his immediate extradition. He has shifted to Senegal from Burkina Faso. He was running an Indian-style hotel named Maharaja.”

Before he was produced in the court, Pujari was subjected to a medical test on Monday morning.

Sandeep Patil said, “DG&IGP will form a special team at the earliest to investigate the cases registered against Pujari.”