Guj cops contact Senegal for gangster Ravi Pujari's custody

Gujarat Police have contacted the Republic of Senegal for deportation and custody of gangster Ravi Pujari against whom at least 20 cases of extortion and making threat calls are pending in the state, a top police officer said on Tuesday.

Pujari, who had been on the run for the last 15 years, was arrested from a hotel in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, on January 22 this year.

Director General of Police (CID-Crime and Railways) Ashish Bhatia on Tuesday said the police have contacted the Senegal government through Union Home ministry for deportation and custody of Pujari.

"He (Pujari) was arrested there (Senegal) after a red corner notice was issued against him," he added.

According to officials, more than 20 cases of extortion and making threat calls were registered against the gangster in Gujarat in the last few years.

While some businessmen had received extortion calls from Pujari, several MLAs of Gujarat Congress, including state party chief Amit Chavda, had allegedly received threat calls from him in the past, they said.

Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani and Gujarat Cooperative Milk Federation (GCMF) Managing Director R S Sodhi had also allegedly received threat calls from the gangster.

Pujari is also accused of running an extortion syndicate targeting mainly builders in Mumbai.