Mumbai: Suresh Pujari gang busted, Crime Branch arrests five

Kotian, the police have found, was working as a caterer at the Sessions court in south Mumbai for several years. “As part of his job, he came in touch with several henchmen of Suresh Pujari who would come to the court for their hearings. Through them, Kotian came in contact with Pujari,” said a senior Crime Branch officer.

“Nearly two-three years ago, he quit his work, got training as a masseur and began working as a private masseur. Besides, he would scout for ‘rich people’ who could be threatened to pay extortion money. This was Kotian’s only job, to use his network to scout for people who could be threatened and pass on the names to Pujari. In order to lure him, right at the outset, Pujari sent him Rs 50,000,” the officer added.

The police found that the details of the south Mumbai businessman were also given to Pujari by Kotian. After getting the names, Pujari got in touch with his henchman Sanket Dalvi alias Sandy. Dalvi, who was earlier arrested in an attempt to murder case, contacted Aniket Thakur (25) and Noormohammad Khan (20), who he had met behind bars. “Thakur, a sharpshooter, lost his left hand in a train accident. He just uses his right hand to fire. Khan, who sold fruits for a living, was the one who fired at the Bhiwandi hotel employee,” the officer added, explaining the roles of the accused. Prathamesh Kadam (22) reportedly left behind a chit of paper in the businessman’s shop, asking him to make the payment.

“Of the module, Kotian and Dalvi were in direct touch with Pujari. We have also got some information about Pujari,” the officer said. Suresh Pujari, is one of the few underworld gangsters, who, along with Ravi Pujari, is ‘active’ in extortion rackets. Long believed to be holed up in South East Asia, Pujari, who hails from Ghatkopar, was working with underworld gangster Ravi Pujari in the past. Earlier, he operated primarily out of Mumbai. When the Mumbai Police Crime Branch started going after him, he started operating out of Ulhasnagar. Eventually in 2007, he fled India and continued making extortion calls.
mohamed.thaver@expressindia.com