Bangalore:
Gangster Ravi Pujari has shifted his base to Bangalore after the crime branch in Mumbai has turned on the heat on members of his gang. Pujari suffered two major setbacks in Mumbai after two key members of his gang were gunned down in separate encounters.
At least eight members of his gang were arrested in the past two months reducing his striking capabilities in Mumbai to near negligible. A crime branch officer said that Pujari has shifted his base to the city due to the large-scale development, and wanted to encash on real estate deals.
At least eight members of Ravi Pujari gang were arrested in the past two months, thus reducing his striking capabilities in Mumbai to near negligible.
The source added that he is trying to exploit a new breed of shooters available from his hometown Padbidri, near Udipi in Mangalore.
Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Himanshu Roy told MiD DAY that his officers have arrested most of Pujari's active shooters and his chief lieutenants.
After the setbacks he suffered in Mumbai, we are keeping close tabs on his activities. "It is possible that due to this pressure he might have shifted his activities to Bangalore," added Roy.
Pujari teamed up with Guru Satam soon after he broke away from his mentor Chhota Rajan in 2002, but this association with the ageing Satam did not last too long.
Initially, Pujari started to target forwarding agents in and around the Sahar international airport, where he had grown up. He soon shifted his focus to hoteliers in the city.
Pujari launched himself in the upper echelon of Mumbai's underworld when he began targeting some Bollywood actors. He tried to emulate his mentor Rajan as a patriot don.
The gangster even tried to a foothold in Pune city limits, but suffered another setback when six members of his gang were nabbed on April 11, 2008.
Pujari also tried his luck in Surat and Mangalore. He speaks fluent English, Kannada and Tulu languages, which gives him an edge over his rivals, sources disclosed.
Pujari shifted his focus again to Mumbai, but was challenged by Mumbai's crime branch. The Anti Extortion Cell had trapped most of his shooters.
Police sources informed that most of Pujari's targets reported the matter to the police rather than succumbing to the threat. This was mainly because most his hirelings were small-time goons.
Pujari soon resorted to hiring shooters from North India. Most of them were off the mark and were soon arrested by crime branch officials. "The recruits are goons who have been booked with petty offences.
They are usually provided with country-made weapons to scare targets," said an official.
At least eight members of his gang were arrested in the past two months reducing his striking capabilities in Mumbai to near negligible. A crime branch officer said that Pujari has shifted his base to the city due to the large-scale development, and wanted to encash on real estate deals.
At least eight members of Ravi Pujari gang were arrested in the past two months, thus reducing his striking capabilities in Mumbai to near negligible.
The source added that he is trying to exploit a new breed of shooters available from his hometown Padbidri, near Udipi in Mangalore.
Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Himanshu Roy told MiD DAY that his officers have arrested most of Pujari's active shooters and his chief lieutenants.
After the setbacks he suffered in Mumbai, we are keeping close tabs on his activities. "It is possible that due to this pressure he might have shifted his activities to Bangalore," added Roy.
Pujari teamed up with Guru Satam soon after he broke away from his mentor Chhota Rajan in 2002, but this association with the ageing Satam did not last too long.
Initially, Pujari started to target forwarding agents in and around the Sahar international airport, where he had grown up. He soon shifted his focus to hoteliers in the city.
Pujari launched himself in the upper echelon of Mumbai's underworld when he began targeting some Bollywood actors. He tried to emulate his mentor Rajan as a patriot don.
The gangster even tried to a foothold in Pune city limits, but suffered another setback when six members of his gang were nabbed on April 11, 2008.
Pujari also tried his luck in Surat and Mangalore. He speaks fluent English, Kannada and Tulu languages, which gives him an edge over his rivals, sources disclosed.
Pujari shifted his focus again to Mumbai, but was challenged by Mumbai's crime branch. The Anti Extortion Cell had trapped most of his shooters.
Police sources informed that most of Pujari's targets reported the matter to the police rather than succumbing to the threat. This was mainly because most his hirelings were small-time goons.
Pujari soon resorted to hiring shooters from North India. Most of them were off the mark and were soon arrested by crime branch officials. "The recruits are goons who have been booked with petty offences.
They are usually provided with country-made weapons to scare targets," said an official.
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