Gangster Prasad Pujari deported from China, remanded in police custody for 2019 firing case

MUMBAI: Gangster Prasad Pujari (42), deported from China, was produced before special court which remanded him in 14-day police custody in connection with a 2019 firing case on a politician.

Prasad alias Subhash Vitthal Pujari alias Siddharth Shetty alias Siddhu alias Sid alias Johny was deported from China and landed at Mumbai international airport at around 4 in the morning on Saturday. A waiting crime branch police team took him in custody soon after he stepped outside the airport. “The Mumbai crime branch has been successful in bringing gangster Prasad Pujari through deportation from China,” said Lakhmi Gautam, joint commissioner of police, crime branch.

"Initially, Pujari was a member of the Kumar Pillai gang and also worked for Chhota Rajan gang and subsequently he started his own gang. He committed several serious offences in the city. We are probing eight cases, registered against him in the city, and in some cases trial is on. While five cases are with the anti-extortion cell (AEC), three other cases are with the crime branch unit 7. They include a murder, firing, extortion and other serious offences,” said Gautam.

Anti-gangster and stringent law, the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has also been invoked in four cases registered against him. “A red corner notice against him was issued in February 2012 by the crime branch,” added Gautam. Most of the cases registered against Pujari are for threatening and extortion.

In 2004, Pujari was arrested in a case and released on bail. Pujari fled the country in 2005 and had made threat calls for extortion money to some political persons, businessmen, Bollywood celebrities and builders. If someone did not listen to him for extortion, there have been incidents where Pujari sent his men with the instructions of firing and cases have been registered against him.

Out of eight cases against him, trial is on in six cases and in one case his associates have been convicted while Pujari was wanted in this case. In April 2023, a case was registered against him for threatening the complainant (who had earlier filed a case against Pujari) and asked him to withdraw his cases.

The crime branch, which had been working to get details about Pujari, learnt that he was in China. Sources were activated and more information was collected. Police learnt that he was into the electronic items' export business. “He got married to a Chinese woman and the couple has a five-year-old son,” said a police officer.

Sources said that police got a clue when Pujari had called up his mother.

“He has been arrested by the anti-extortion cell in the 2019 firing case. It was first registered with the Vikhroli police station. In December 2019, Pujari’s associates had opened fire at a Shiv Sena functionary and a case of attempt to murder was registered. Police also invoked MCOCA and arrested 10 accused including Pujari’s mother, Indira (60). She is currently out on bail,” said a police officer.

The crime branch had been working on Pujari’s case for the last 10 months. They collected intelligence, coordinated with sister agencies. Pujari was caught by the Interpol last year based on a red corner notice against him. He was deported on an emergency certificate.

Pujari and his family originally belonged to Udipi in Karnataka. For a long time his family has been staying in Vikhroli, and vashi in Navi Navi Mumbai. Pujari had joined the Kumar Pillai gang in late 90s and worked with the gang for a long time.

His eldest brother stays in the US while another brother stays in Kalwa with their mother.

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