'Antony Fernandes of Burkina Faso': How Karnataka police op led to Ravi Pujari's arrest from a Senegal barber shop

Karnataka police said on Friday that Ravi Pujari was living with a new identity, had got a Burkina Faso passport for himself and his family and ran a chain of restaurants in some West African nations.

"Ravi Pujari had obtained a new identity as Antony Fernades and got a Burkina Faso passport for himself, his wife and children. Being a dreaded criminal and always afraid of his identity getting exposed, he ran away from Burkina Faso and his track was lost," police said in a statement.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka played a leading role in getting Ravi Pujari arrested from Senegal He said the arrest of the don was effected due to the 'sustained efforts' of Karnataka government officers, with the assistance of the central government and officials of the Indian Embassy at Senegal. 

The Karnataka police said Additional Director General of Police (intelligence) Dr Amar Kumar Pandey coordinated with the National Crime Record Bureau to expedite the Red Corner Notice to Interpol on the directions of Chief Minister Kumaraswamy to ensure the arrest of the gangster, wanted in several cases in Karnataka, including extortion.

Pandey also succeeded in obtaining information about the chain of restaurants Pujari ran in partnership in several west African countries like Guinea, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Ivory Coast, the statement said.

After getting information about Pujaris presence in Senegal's capital city Dakar, he alerted the Indian Ambassador in that country, Rajeev Kumar.  Kumar got in touch with Senegal interior minister Aly Ngouille Nbiaye and the director of judicial police, Seydou Bocar Yague, the statement said.

On January 19, Senegal police received information about Pujaris presence in a barber shop and soon heavily armed policemen in three buses surrounded the place and arrested him, the statement said. On January 21, Senegal police confirmed his arrest.

(Image: Reubeus Prison in Senegal's Dakar where Pujari has been kept after his arrest - Zee Media)

Pujari is wanted in India for a number of cases ranging from extortion, kidnapping, murder, blackmail and cheating. Many Bollywood stars have registered complaints against the dreaded criminal for extortion calls he made to them over the years. He has been accused of threatening many Bollywood actors like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Rakesh Roshan, and Shahrukh Khan. Pujari had also demanded Rs 1 crore from Pratapgarh MLA Sangam Lal and several prominent builders in Gujarat were also on his radar. Interpol had issued Red Corner Notice issued against him. The fugitive gangster was earlier believed to be hiding in Australia.

(Image: Reubeus Prison in Senegal's Dakar where Pujari has been kept after his arrest - Zee Media)

Pujari had hired shooters to attack his targets to create a scare, police said, adding, people used to pay up out of fear. There are 39 cases against Pujari in Bengaluru alone, including the murders of Shailaja and Ravi of Shabnam Developers on February 15, 2007, police said. He has 36 cases against him in Mangaluru, 11 in Udupi, and one each in Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kolar and Shivamogga, police said.

Ravi Pujari started his criminal career at Andheri after he dropped out of school. He joined gangster Chhota Rajan and soon moved to Dubai in the late 1990s. He later started working with various gangs internationally and in India after the downfall of his mentor Chhota Rajan, who is currently serving a life sentence in a jail in Navi Mumbai. 

After a fall out with Rajan, Pujari formed his own network and started working independently. His graph in the crime world rose after he started threatening Bollywood celebs to extort money. He once allegedly tried to kill filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and was also said to be behind the firing at producer Ali Morani's Juhu bungalow.