Cops to conduct voice test on deported Pujari aide

Ashok Dharamappa Devadiga,40,who was deported from Dubai Friday,was allegedly fugitive gangster Ravi Pujaris closest and most important aide between 2010 and 2012

Ashok Dharamappa Devadiga,40,who was deported from Dubai Friday,was allegedly fugitive gangster Ravi Pujaris closest and most important aide between 2010 and 2012 – a period in which Devadiga made his highest number of extortion calls using the alias Anil. Devadiga has now reportedly told Crime Branch officers that he left Mumbai sometime in 2012,after Pujari stopped paying him regularly for the extortion calls he made on the latters behalf.

The Crime Branch will soon get a voice spectrograph test conducted on Devadiga by forensic experts,to match his voice with the voice in extortion calls that were recorded by complainants.

Crime Branch officers said since 2012,Devadiga has been shuttling between South Africa and Gulf countries and was primarily staying in Dubai,police said.

Devadiga told police that he got in touch with Pujari in 2010 through other gang members who were also from Mangalore. Devadiga,an estate agent from Mankhurd,had been assigned by Pujari to place extortion calls on his behest and demand protection money. For each successful extortion case,Devadiga allegedly used to get a certain amount as his fee between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. The rest of the extortion money would reach Pujari directly through hawala channels.

Devadiga was the most important member of Pujaris gang. However,after 2012,Pujari stopped paying Devadiga,forcing him to cut down on extortion calls and leave the country, said an officer. Police said Devadiga had made several extortion calls using illegal SIM cards in Mumbai.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram