12 acquitted of charges linked to firing at producer’s residence in 2014
Police had claimed that the gangster had sought a deal for the promotional shows. After being told that the promotional shows were being looked after by another production house, the gangster conspired with others to commit the firing to obtain the rights for the show.
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Police had claimed that Pujari had sent threatening messages to Morani over promotion shows for the film to be held in the US. A SPECIAL court on Thursday acquitted 12 persons booked on charges of firing at the residence of film producer Karim Morani in 2014. Mumbai Police had claimed that the firing at the producer’s residence was done at the behest of gangster Ravi Pujari, over the gangster’s demands about promotion shows to be organised in the US for the film Happy New Year.
Special Judge B D Shelke cleared the accused of all charges including attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and forgery under the Indian Penal Code, and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
In 2014, the Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch had booked 11 persons, while naming four others as wanted accused including Pujari, alleged aide Obaid Radiowala and two others. Police had claimed that Morani and his brother had a production company named Cineyug Entertainment, which undertook event management in India and abroad.
Happy New Year, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan and Sonu Sood, released in 2014. It was produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, a production house founded by Khan and his wife Gauri. Police had claimed that Pujari had sent threatening messages to Morani over promotion shows for the film to be held in the US.
Police had claimed that the gangster had sought a deal for the promotional shows. After being told that the promotional shows were being looked after by another production house, the gangster conspired with others to commit the firing to obtain the rights for the show. Three men were alleged to have shot rounds at the family home of Moranis in Juhu and fled. One of the bullets scraped a car parked outside the home and got lodged in a tree. No one was injured in the incident.
Police had arrested 11 persons in 2014, claiming each one had a specific role in the conspiracy such as conducting recce of the bungalow, arranging the weapons and subsequent firing. Police had arrested Mohammed Anis, Ishrat Shaikh, Ashpak Sayyed, Azim Khan, Asif Abdul Sattar Khan, Shahnawaz Shaikh, Mohammed Hasnat, Ravikesh Singh, Sufiyan Shiakh, Faiz Shaikh and Arman Siddiqui.
In 2019, Radiowala was extradited from the US. During the trial, the defence had argued that there was no evidence presented by the prosecution on the conspiracy or to link the accused to the firing.
The accused had also said that there was no evidence to prove that they were all part of an organised crime syndicate.
Among the witnesses examined in the case was actor Sonu Sood, who gave his testimony in 2021. Pujari was extradited in 2022 from Senegal. Police have not filed a chargesheet against him so far.
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