ATS takes over probe into Kerala parlour shootout involving Ravi Pujari

Kochi: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Kerala Police has taken over the investigation into the shootout at a beauty parlour run by controversial actress Leena Mariya Paul here in December 2018, police said here on Friday.

The Crime Branch wing of the Kerala police had been probing the case in which gangster Ravi Pujari is a key accused, they said.

The ATS is also a separate wing under the Crime Branch headed by senior IPS officer Tomin J Thachankary.

The case was handed over to the ATS considering the seriousness of the crime involving a gangster-like Pujari, police sources said.

Pujari was interrogated by the state crime branch sleuths in connection with the shootout when he was under the custody of Karnataka police.

The incident happened on December 15, 2018, when two unidentified men came on motorcycles and opened fire outside the parlour owned by the actress at Panampilly Nagar here.

The Crime Branch had arrested three people soon after the incident.

The Crime Branch investigation had revealed that the gang had committed the act to threaten the actress to pay Rs 25 crore demanded by Pujari.

Pujari had allegedly called her multiple times seeking the amount before and after the incident.

Actress Paul has acted in a Hindi film ‘Madras Cafe’, Tamil movie ‘Biriyani’ and Malayalam films ‘Husbands in Goa’ and ‘Red Chillies’.