Fugitive gangster Raviprakash Sulya Pujari alias Ravi Pujari was flown to Bengaluru from South Africa, where he was arrested a day before, a top police official said on Monday, February 24. 

Pujari was brought back to India in the wee hours of Monday after he was arrested from Senegal. The gangster, wanted for crimes like murder and extortion, was extradited from Senegal and brought to Bengaluru via France around 1:15 am. 

Ravi Poojari
Underworld don Ravi Pujari brought by 4-member Karnataka police team at KIA. Twitter.

 4-member Karnataka police team brought Pujari to Bengaluru

According to City Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain, "A 4-member Karnataka police team brought Pujari to Bengaluru in the wee hours of the day on an Air France flight via Paris after he was extradited from Senegal in Africa."

The police team was led by state Additional Director General of Police AK Pandey and Bengaluru joint commissioner of police Sandeep Patil, a police inspector and a constable.

DGP quote

Pujari to remain in police custody till March 7

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  • AK Pandey
    Additional Director General of Police (law and order) A K Pandey shows the passports used by fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari.@nolanentreeo/Twitter.
  • Amar Kumar Pandey
    Additional Director General of Police (law and order) A K Pandey shows the passports used by fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari.@nolanentreeo/Twitter.

"Pujari will be produced in the first Additional City Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court in the city for judicial custody," Jain said.

Pujari was taken to an undisclosed place in the city from the international airport under tight security. 

Ravi Pujari
Ravi Pujari hiding with a false identity of Anthony Fernandes, a Burkina Faso passport holder. IANS

AK Pandey also revealed the passports used by Ravi Pujari. Fugitive gangster remains in custody until March 7.

According to police, the gangster, facing over 200 cases including murder and extortion, was arrested in January last year by the Senegal authorities after remaining elusive.

Who is Ravi Pujari?

  • Ravi Pujari has been on the run for over 15 years and wanted in over 200 cases. 
  • Multiples cases of extortion, murder and ransom registered against him.
  • In Karnataka, there are 101 cases against him.
  • Booked in 10 cases in Gujarat, mostly for murder and extortion.
  • Earlier in 2000, he started extorting from famous Bollywood personalities and builders
  • Involved in an attempt to murder case, aimed at killing a prominent lawyer of Mumbai.
  • A Red Corner Notice was issued against him in 2002.
  • Pujari was initially associated with gangster Chhota Rajan.
  • Worked for fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
  • Ravi Pujari established himself as a hotelier with a different identity running his underworld racket from Senegal.
  • Ravi Pujari was hiding with a false identity of Anthony Fernandes, a Burkina Faso passport holder.