Thane:
Four associates of gangster Ravi Pujari have been arrested for allegedly making extortion calls to a businessman and builders, police said.
According to police, the accused have been identified as Kailas Bheem Pradhan (45), Kashinath Muniram Pashi alias Kashi Pashi (49), Gaurav Yogendra Sharma (34) and Hanuman Rajaram Mhatre (50).
They said that, based on a tip-off, Pradhan (45), who is a resident of Ambernath in the district, was the first to be arrested last week and it was his interrogation which had led to the arrests of the remaining three from different places in the district.
"Between August 11 and 27 in 2014, a businessman from Ulhasnagar received several calls on his mobile phone from overseas and the caller, who identified himself as Pujari, demanded Rs 5 crore from him," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Nagesh Lohar, said in a release.
Thereafter, several other businessmen, including some builders in Thane, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, also complained about getting extortion calls by a person who identified himself as Pujari.
According to Lohar, Pashi is a notorious criminal who has over 50 cases, including that of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and assault, registered against him. The three others are also history-sheeters involved in similar offences.
Pistols, revolvers, choppers, cell phones have been recovered from the arrested accused, police said.
Explaining their modus operandi, police said, "Mhatre used to supply construction material to builders and was also involved in illegal excavation of sand. Sharma was his partner in the business. The two used to pass on information about builders and other businessmen to the other two accused, who in turn passed on the information to Pujari."
Using the information provided, Pujari would call the builders and businessmen from abroad and demand money from them, police said, adding that further inquiries are on in the case.