A dedicated Mumbai Police team has successfully extradited gangster Prasad Pujari, alias Subhash Vitthal, from China back to India. He will now face interrogation for numerous cases, including murder. Once associated with the Chhota Rajan gang, the 44-year-old Pujari had fled to China twenty years ago after committing various crimes in India.
Police reports indicate that he is accused in 8 different cases of murder, extortion, and firing. After his arrest in 2004, he was released on bail and subsequently eluded authorities by escaping to China, where he settled down after marrying a Chinese woman. Officers from the Crime Branch and the Anti Extortion Cell have been on his trail for the last few years.
Seat-sharing talks' final round today with Maharashtra NDA, meetings with Amit Shah.
Prasad Pujari’s Reign of Terror
Originally from Udupi, Karnataka, Pujari used to reside in Vashi (Navi Mumbai) and Vikhroli with his parents and family. According to the police, Pujari initially began working with the Kumar Pillai gang before briefly joining Chhota Rajan's faction. Eventually, he established his gang, becoming notorious under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Securing a 14-Day Police Custody
Joint Commissioner (Crime), Lakmi Gautam informed that Pujari was wanted for numerous criminal offenses. The police apprehended him and safely escorted him from China to Mumbai International Airport in the early hours. He faces charges in eight cases, proceedings initiated by both the Anti Extortion Cell and Crime Branch's Unit 7.
Gautam shared that among these cases are incidents of murder, murder attempts, forced extortion, and shootings. The police are set to further investigate and interrogate him on these matters, thanks to the 14 days of police custody granted to them.
Threatened Politicians, Businesspeople, and Builders
In a bid to spread fear and assert dominance, he threatened lives and demanded ransoms. His terror spread to the Thane and Navi Mumbai areas, targeting politicians, businesspeople, and builders, and even Bollywood celebrities were not spared.
After fleeing India in 2005, an Interpol Red Corner Notice was also issued against him. It's noteworthy that Red Corner Notices are issued to seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action.
The 2019 Shooting Arrest
Pujari's latest arrest stems from a shooting incident in Vikhroli in December 2019. Allegedly, Pujari had threatened the complainant to withdraw the complaint or face the consequences. His capture in April 2023 was in light of his most recent extortive undertakings by the anti-extortion officials.
The conspiracy involved Pujari, his mother, and ten other accomplices. The process of extraditing him from China took over ten months of collaborative work between multiple agencies. It is believed that following unfulfilled demands, he coordinated from China, leading to the orchestrated shooting incident.
