Fugitive Gangster Prasad Pujari back to Mumbai from China

The crime branch officers with the alleged accused

Fugitive Gangster Subhash Vitthal Pujari, alias Prasad Pujari, who is said to be close aide of gangster Chhota Rajan and Kumar Pillai, was arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch. The officials said he had been wanted for the past 20 years, and had been living abroad.

After the Mumbai Crime Branch Anti-Extortion Cell officials brought him back to Mumbai on Saturday morning, he was produced before the special MCOCA court where he was granted 14 days custody. The crime branch who interrogated him during primary investigations, found that he had been running a mobile accessories shop in China, where he resided. "We arrested Prasad alias Vitthal Pujari from China," said Lakhmi Gautam, Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai Crime Branch.

Who is Prasad Pujari?

Subhash Vitthal Pujari, also known as Prasad Pujari, transitioned into the criminal world in 2002 when he and five other associates were allegedly involved in a plot to kill the owner of Monica bar and restaurant in Ghatkopar, reportedly under the direction of Bunty Pandey. This marked his entry into serious criminal activities. Pujari, born in middle class family in the Tagore Nagar area in Vikroli East, and was a known associate of the underworld don, Kumar Pillai's men and got into small scuffles in the area.

Soon, Pujari became the second in-command and a trusted member of Pillai gang. In February 2002, Mumbai Crime Branch officials had arrested seven accused including Prasad Pujari in connection with a murder case. Pujari's elder brother Praveen was also an accused and wanted in connection to the case. Later, in October 2018 Ghatkopar unit of the agency arrested Praveen, who is now out on bail.

Sources said Pujari served two and a half years behind bars, only to be acquitted in September 2005 due to insufficient evidence. Upon his release, he sought refuge abroad and reached out to a close relative of Pillai, hoping to be brought overseas. However, unable to resist the allure of the criminal underworld, Pujari began to take charge of Pillai's operations in India, according to a Crime Branch official.

Eventually, Pillai distanced himself from Pujari due to disagreements over the extortion racket, leading Pujari to flee to China around 2012. He was booked under the MCOCA act by the Mumbai police. In 2012, a red corner notice (RCN) had been issued against Pujari. A team soon arrested him in Beijing. "We had reliable inputs that he was staying in Hong Kong and China hence we had sent a deportation extradition notice to China." Said an officer. In 2009, Pujari got married with a Chinese woman, and had visited in Mumbai with her too. He has a five-year-old son.

Cases Against Prasad Pujari

2002 Pujari and his associates tried to murder Ghatkopar-based hotelier.

2007 Murder and attempt to murder case was registered against him in Vikroli police station.

2009 Case registered under the charges of attempt to murder and extortion. Following Pujari's direction, Kumar Pillai's men tried to kill builder.

2009 Pujari's men fired at construction site of private developer.

2015: Case registered in Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) against Pujari for threatening a businessman for extortion.

2020 An extortion case was registered against Pujari and his associates for threatening Vikroli-based builder and demanding Rs 10 lakh from him.