Curtains on Mumbai’s gangster era

The Crime Branch’s anti-extortion cell was formed in the late 1990s to deal with gangsters targeting businessmen and celebrities. Representation Pic

The arrest of gangster Prasad Pujari, who was deported from China last week, seems to herald the end of the gangsterism that once plagued the city. According to Crime Branch data, extortion calls declined from 94 in 2015 to just one each in 2023 and 24. The anti-extortion cell of the Crime Branch was formed in the late 1990s to deal with such calls, which were received by businessmen, builders and celebrities. Gangsters such Chhota Rajan, Ejaz Lakdawala and Ravi, Suresh and Prasad Pujari, who were responsible for the majority of extortion calls, have been extradited to India to face justice. "These gangsters had sophisticated team members operating within the city on their behalf.

We dismantled their local gangs by invoking the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and compiled robust dossiers to ensure the gangsters' extradition to face the law in India. While it was a time-consuming process, most of them have now been brought back to the city and are being held accountable under the law," stated an officer of the anti-extortion cell. According to the cops, the anti-extortion cell received around 500 calls in the past ten years related to the gangsters who are behind bars at present.

"This is the culmination of the collective efforts of all successive joint commissioners of crime and their teams, who have tirelessly worked over the years to apprehend these gangsters taking shelter in foreign lands. These efforts are now yielding tangible results, as evidenced by the reduction of extortion calls by over 90 per cent in the last decade. The law inevitably takes its course once set in motion," stated Lakhmi Gautam, joint commissioner of crime, Mumbai Police.

"The only gangsters currently operating from foreign lands are Dawood Ibrahim and his close associate, Chhota Shakeel, with their locations known to be in Pakistan. Efforts by the Central government are underway to extradite them; however, Pakistan has consistently denied their presence on their soil. The D gang has transitioned their activities to smuggling, no longer focusing on extortion calls. In the last decade, there have been minimal reports of Shakeel and Dawood issuing threats directly, but their names continue to be exploited by smaller associated gangs for extortion purposes," said a Crime Branch officer.

Here are some gangsters who were deported or extradited to India:

Prasad Pujari
On March 22, Pujari was deported to India from China where he was staying for 20 years. The anti-extortion cell had been pursuing him for years. Eight cases have been registered against him for murder, attempted murder and extortion at several police stations in Mumbai. Previously, he had spent two-and-a-half years in jail in an attempted murder case but was acquitted in September 2005 due to insufficient evidence. He married a Chinese woman and was staying with her. He has three children.

Ejaz Lakdawala
Lakdawala was apprehended at the Nepal border in January 2019 by the anti-extortion cell. With over 50 cases and hundreds of complaints filed against him, he is facing trial for multiple offences.

Suresh Pujari
Pujari was arrested and extradited from the Philippines in 2021 due to the efforts of the Maharashtra ATS and anti-extortion cell, who compiled detailed dossiers against the gangster. On the run since 2007, he had evaded capture until his arrest in 2021. Pujari was involved in 24 cases of extortion, attempted murder and murder.

Ravi Pujari
Pujari was extradited from Senegal in February 2020. Over a hundred cases have been registered against him in Mumbai and Karnataka. The Karnataka and the city crime branch both determined his whereabouts and after he was brought back to the country, his custody was first given to the Karnataka police as he was extradited in their case. He had been on the run for 20 years before he was caught.

Chhota Rajan
Rajan was apprehended in October 2015 and extradited to India from Bali, Indonesia, marking one of the most significant arrests. Rajan faced multiple charges including murder, extortion, drug smuggling and arms trafficking. Upon his deportation to India, all his cases were transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.