Fugitive underworld operative Ravi Poojary lands in police net in Senegal

The Karnataka police have finally managed to arrest fugitive and underworld operative Ravi Poojary after a year of struggle to locate him.

Poojary, who was arrested in Senegal in Africa, will be brought back by a team of police from the state, DG&IGP Praveen Sood confirmed. The team is in Senegal to complete the extradition process.

Poojary is wanted in many cases including murder, extortion and other crimes. He has been on the run for the past 15 years and his arrest in Senegal is due to the number of red corner notices issued against him. He had been arrested in Senegal last year as well, but had been granted bail due to technical issues.

Poojary, said to be an associate of Chhota Rajan and the Dawood Ibrahim gang, split from the gang and created a fiefdom of his own in Bengaluru and Mangaluru.

He has been accused of extortion. There have been regular reports about his gang approaching potential targets and connecting them over phone to Poojary, who would threaten them from the other end.

In February 2007, a gunman, wearing a helmet, barged into the office of a real-estate development company owned by a corporator and fired indiscriminately after the victim refused to pay money. An assistant and the receptionist were also killed. Police had suspected Poojary's hand in the incident.