Gangster Suresh Pujari held in another extortion case

Mumbai: The Mumbai police have taken the custody of gangster Suresh Pujari in a Rs 10-crore extortion case, an official said on Thursday.

Suresh Pujari was wanted in the extortion case registered at the Chembur Police Station in suburban Mumbai on a complaint filed by a share broker and the crime branch has taken his custody for questioning in the matter, the official said.

At least, 10 persons have been arrested in the case and Suresh Pujari was their leader, he said, adding stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) sections have been invoked against the accused.

The gangster was shown as arrested in the extortion case and produced before a court on Thursday, which sent him to police custody till February 8, the official said.

Earlier, he was in the custody of the crime branch in connection with another extortion case in which he had demanded Rs 50 lakh from a businessman, he said.

Suresh Pujari, a former associate of gangster Ravi Pujari, was deported to India from the Philippines last year after being on the run for several years.

The gangster has at least 52 FIRs of extortion registered against him at police stations in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane.