Don Ravi Pujari, protege of Chhota Rajan, arrested in Senegal; gangster had threatened Bollywood actors

Underworld don Ravi Pujari, known for his operations in Mumbai in the 1990s, was reportedly arrested in western Africa’s Senegal on Thursday. The arresting agencies acted on a tip-off by the Indian agencies, who were given information about the gangster by Karnataka police, Times Now reported.

The report cited local sources as saying that Pujari was in possession of a fake passport in the name of Anthony Fernandez when he was arrested. He was reportedly nabbed in Dakar by the Interpol Central Bureau in a joint operation with the local Criminal Investigations Division.

Pujari is likely to be brought to India on a special flight, the report stated.

The development comes after, the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against two alleged members of Pujari’s gang, India Today reported. William Rodricks and Akash Shetty were arrested by the Anti-Extortion Cell for threatening a builder.

Pujari has been absconding for decades, and is wanted in India in a number of cases, including extortion, threat calls to Bollywood stars and other prominent personalities. He has a Red Corner Notice issued against him by Interpol, Times of India reported.

He has been in hiding in Australia until 2016, following which he bounced around between various cities including to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Morocco, the report said.

As per an NDTV report, Pujari was also mentored by gangster Chhota Rajan, who is currently serving a life sentence in a jail in Navi Mumbai. The two parted ways sometime around 2001.