Kerala Crime Branch arrests gangster Ravi Pujari in Kochi parlour shooting case

The Crime Branch (CB) in Kerala on Friday arrested gangster Ravi Pujari in connection with the Kochi beauty parlour shooting case. The arrest was recorded at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru where he is currently lodged after he was extradited from South Africa. The shooting case pertains to 2018 when Pujari had allegedly hired two contract shooters to open fire outside a parlour owned by actor Leena Maria Paul in Panampilly Nagar of Kochi.

The other accused in the beauty parlour case are Bilal, Vipin, Ajas, and Monai (Nisam). The police had earlier arrested two youth who had committed the crime acting upon his directions. They even recovered a 0.32 automatic pistol and bullets from them.

The Bengaluru Sessions Court had permitted the Crime Branch team to arrest Pujari and interrogate him. According to a report in Manorama, the gangster confessed to a team of investigators led by Kerala Crime Branch chief Tomin Thachankary, who visited Bengaluru, that he planned the shooting.

According to the police, Pujari masterminded the incident to intimidate the actor and extort money from her. After rumours spread among the underworld that Leena Maria Paul had allegedly amassed a large amount of black money, Pujari made calls threatening her. When she did not pay heed, he reportedly ordered the shooting to intimidate her which was carried out on December 15, 2018.

During his interrogation, he also made startling revelations about his connections with police personnel in Kerala. The Kerala Police high-command has reportedly launched an internal investigation drive based on his revelations.

Ravi Pujari, born in Karnataka’s Udupi, was in his teens when he was inducted into the world of crime and later became Chhota Rajan’s protegee. He was infamous for extorting money from builders, films stars and other famous personalities, including activist Shehla Rashid and Bollywood singer Arijit Singh in Mumbai. He is also accused of murders of people like another dreaded don of Mumbai, Bala Zalte.

Pujari has 39 cases registered against him in Bengaluru, 36 cases in Mangaluru, 11 in Udupi, and one each in Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kolar and Shivamogga. The Maharashtra Police has 49 cases registered against Ravi Pujari and 26 of them are under the stringent MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act). 

The feud with Chhota Rajan had led Ravi Pujari to set up his own gang. Pujari’s operations spanned across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Udupi. Ravi Pujari began identifying himself as a warrior for the "Hindu cause.” TNM had earlier reported.

Pujari was living in Senegal, South Africa under the alias Anthony Fernandez; attempted to convince the Supreme Court of Senegal that he is not the gangster the police claim him to be. However, on February 19, 2020, the court ruled in favour of the Karnataka police and allowed Ravi Pujari’s extradition to India after he remained a fugitive for 15 years.