Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Feb 25: Underworld fugitive Ravi Poojary, after a protracted procedure involving legal, diplomatic and other efforts, has landed in the custody of Karnataka police. He was brought to the city by a team of police personnel which included state additional director general of police (ADGP - law and order) Amar Kumar Pandey, joint commissioner Sandeep Patil, inspector Siddappa Bolethin and constable Jayaprakash Chandrashekhar, brought Poojary here by flight in the early hours on Monday.
Poojary faces a total of 97 cases in Karnataka which include murder, robbery, death threat etc. He faces similar cases also in Mumbai, Thane, Gujarat and Kochi in Kerala.
Poojary had been arrested relating to a murder which happened at Mumbai in 1994.At that time, his photo and finger print had been gathered. He came out after obtaining bail in the case but got involved with more crimes. He then obtained fake passport containing Mysuru address and travelled to Nepal, Bangkok, Uganda and Burkina Faso. Pandey said that later, Poojary succeeded in getting a passport from Burkina Faso and settled down at Senegal.
Poojary lived in Burkina Faso with wife and three children. He also conducted textiles and electronic goods trade there. After shifting to Senegal, he opened a hotel named Maharaja and got involved with other businesses. His two daughters started living in Canada in later years, and he continued to live in Senegal with wife and son, he added.
Ravi Poojary had created an impression of himself as a social worker at Senegal. During Hindu festivals, he used to distribute food and clothes to locals and provided houses to the homeless, he stated.
Ravi Poojary has four identities. Underworld element Chota Rajan, called him with the name 'Antony Fernandes' but Poojary identified himself as 'Tony Fernandes'. He had called himself as Rocky Fernandes when in Senegal and Burkina Faso. Two passports were found in his possession, and his date of birth has been mentioned as January 25, 1961, the ADGP said.
Ravi Poojary had organized cricket tournament at Senegal in January 2019. On that occasion, he had got his photographs clicked in the company of cricketers. The police who compared his photos with the video of his daughter's marriage with the photos available in India, got confirmation that he was indeed Ravi Poojary, one of the most wanted fugitives in India.
Senegal police, based on red corner notices issued by Karnataka police relating to various cases, arrested Ravi from a hair salon located a little away from Hotel Maharaja on January 19, 2019. Based on his finger print, his identity was established and he was handed over to judicial custody. Karnataka police had immediately initiated extradition proceedings by furnishing records of cases Ravi Poojary faces in Karnataka.