Gangster Ravi Pujari Taken Into Police Custody in Mumbai Extortion Case
The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai crime branch has made a significant arrest, taking notorious gangster Ravi Pujari into custody on Thursday. This development comes in connection with a high-profile extortion case that involves Bollywood choreographer and director Remo D'Souza and his wife, Lizelle.
Details of the Extortion Allegations
According to police reports, the case dates back to March 2018 when Lizelle D'Souza filed a formal complaint at the Amboli police station. She alleged that she and her husband had received multiple threatening phone calls, which were later traced to Ravi Pujari. The case was subsequently transferred to the crime branch's AEC for a more thorough investigation.
The extortion demands were reportedly linked to a financial dispute over a jointly produced film titled "Death of Amar". This film, created in collaboration with producer Satyendra Tyagi in 2014, has been stalled at the censor board, leading to professional tensions between D'Souza and Tyagi.
Background of the Accused and Previous Arrests
Ravi Pujari, who was extradited to India in 2020 from Senegal in West Africa after nearly 25 years abroad, has been incarcerated since his return due to multiple ongoing cases. In this particular instance, the AEC had previously arrested two individuals:
- Satyendra Tyagi, the film producer, was taken into custody in March 2018 based on D'Souza's complaint that Tyagi had sought Pujari's assistance to resolve their financial disagreement.
- Kamalsingh Vijaysingh Rajput, also known as Raju, was arrested following Tyagi's interrogation. Pujari was listed as a wanted accused at that time.
Police officials state that between August 2017 and January 2018, Pujari allegedly made several threatening calls to Remo D'Souza and his wife. These calls demanded that D'Souza provide a no-objection certificate for the film to Tyagi and pay an extortion amount of Rs 50 lakh.
Legal Proceedings and Ongoing Investigation
Following his arrest, Ravi Pujari was presented before a court and has been remanded to police custody until January 27. This custody period will allow investigators to delve deeper into the allegations and gather additional evidence.
It is noteworthy that Tyagi had previously filed an FIR against D'Souza in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 2017. In that complaint, Tyagi claimed that he had received threat calls from another gangster, allegedly at D'Souza's behest. With Pujari now in custody, police officers have indicated that they will conduct a detailed investigation to unravel the full extent of the accusations and counter-accusations between the parties involved.
The arrest marks a crucial step in addressing organized crime elements that attempt to infiltrate the entertainment industry, underscoring the Mumbai police's commitment to tackling such threats.
