Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, May 19: It seems that the Indian police have at last succeeded in putting brakes to the criminal activities of underworld don Ravi Poojary, who used to harass entrepreneurs and wealthy people of many parts of the country including the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat past 25 years.
At present he is in the custody of Senegal police in a high security prison. Ravi Poojary was arrested three and a half months ago on the accusation of holding duplicate passport by the Senegalese police. The extradition procedures are in its last stage and in all probability he should be brought to India in a week's time.
Inquiry with regards to the extradition of Ravi Poojary was fixed for May 15 in the court of Senegal. A team of high ranked police officers has gone to Senegal and submitted the list of criminal cases that are on the fugitive don to the court through the Indian High commission office in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal. The Indian police have made it clear to the court that the person who is arrested in the name of Antony Fernandes is indeed Ravi Poojary.
As Ravi Poojary is arrested for holding duplicate passport of Sri Lanka, the same has to be confirmed by the concerned authorities in Sri Lanka. But Sri Lanka does not have its high commission office in Senegal. So the Senegal authorities have asked their Sri Lankan counterparts to confirm on the issue. However, due to the deterioration of the security situation in Sri Lanka after Easter Day suicide bombings, the Sri Lankan authorities are taking time for their response to the Sengalese police. This also is causing the delay to a certain extent in the extradition of Ravi to India.
In the midst of these developments, it is learnt that Ravi Poojary has cited threat to his life, if he is extradited to India to the court in Senegal and has requested the court not to handover him to the Indian police. The court has granted one more week time for the inquiry of the same, it is learnt.
Ravi Poojary, who has made countries like Burkina Faso, Senegal and Ivory Coast as his base since many years, had invested in many business ventures including hotel industry. He owned 'Namaste India' hotel in Burkina Faso and 'Maharaja' in Senegal. It is said that the police in Senegal have seized all the business ventures in which Ravi had a stake as well as his bank account and properties he owned.