Gangster Suresh Pujari, wanted in several extortion cases in the Mumbai region and adjoining Karnataka who was on the run for over 15 years, has been deported to India, a senior police official said on Wednesday.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday took custody of Pujari in Delhi and brought him to Mumbai in connection with cases registered against him in neighbouring Thane city, an official said.
The gangster was produced before a Thane court which remanded him in ATS custody till December 25 in connection with an extortion case.
Pujari, wanted in extortion cases in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and Dombivli near Mumbai, was brought back to India late on Tuesday night after he was arrested and deported from the Philippines.
Intelligence Bureau (IB) and CBI officials took his custody after he landed at the Delhi airport, the official said.
Later, an ATS release said Pujari was under detention in the Philippines since the last two months and was arrested by Maharashtra ATS at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday (after being deported).
Red corner notice
He was brought to Mumbai in a commercial flight at about 9 a.m., the release said, adding “It was a classified operation which went off smoothly.” The gangster had a red corner notice issued against him on December 20, 2016, which was valid till December 19, 2021, it added.
Two international SIM cards were recovered from Pujari at the time of his arrest, the release said.
All the cases registered against Pujari in Thane city were transferred to the Maharashtra ATS on orders of the State Director General of Police’s office, he said.
Suresh Pujari was a relative of gangster Ravi Pujari but separated from him in 2007.
Early in his career in crime, he had worked with underworld don Chhota Rajan also.
