Maha: Gangster Suresh Pujari arrested in 2015 murder case

The police in Maharashtra’s Thane city on Thursday arrested gangster Suresh Pujari in connection with the murder of an Ulhasnagar-based cable operator, an official said.

Pujari was wanted for the murder of cable operator Sachanand Karira, who was shot dead in September 2015, he said.

The Ulhasnagar police had earlier arrested Nitin Awghade, a history-sheeter in the case, the official said.

The Thane police took custody of the gangster, who was already lodged in prison for a different case, he said.

The gangster, who has been on the run for the last 15 years, was deported from Philippines in December 2021.

Pujari was wanted in at least 24 cases, of which 15 offences were registered in Mumbai, seven in Thane, and one each in Navi Mumbai and Mira Bhayander for extortion, the police said.

Karira was shot dead at his office in Ulhasnagar after he allegedly turned down Pujari’s extortion demand. The police had seized the CCTV footage from the office and initiated a probe and identified the killers.