Parlour shooting: Crime Branch team to bring Ravi Pujari to Kochi

KOCHI: The Crime Branch sleuths, who recorded the arrest of gangster Ravi Pujari in the beauty parlour shooting case, will initiate steps to bring the accused to Kochi for carrying out further inquiry.“The investigation team will approach Bengaluru Sessions Court seeking seven-day custody of Pujari. If permission is granted, the veracity of the audio record of the accused will be examined,” said an officer with the investigation team. However, the team has not decided the exact date to move the application.

The arrest was recorded at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru, where he is currently lodged, on Friday. The case pertains to the 2018 incident in which Pujari allegedly contracted two shooters to open fire outside a parlour, owned by actor Leena Maria Paul, in Panampilly Nagar here.

According to the officers, Pujari masterminded the incident to intimidate Leena and fleece money from her. The police had arrested two local youngsters, Bilal of Kombara in Aluva and Vipin Varghese of Thevara,  who allegedly committed the crime as per Pujari’s directions, and recovered a .32 automatic pistol and rounds from them. The CB team will also initiate necessary steps to bring Ajas and Nisam alias Monayi, who have been absconding and are suspected to be in Dubai, to Kochi.

Another youth Althaf, of Elamakkara, was also arrested in the case.t was on December 15, 2018, two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at Nail Artistry owned by actress Leena Maria Paul at Panampilly Nagar in Kochi.Pujari had also threatened the actor over phone and the police collected the audio clip of the don who contacted a Malayalam television news channel and confirmed that he was behind the firing incident.