20 October,2023 04:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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An associate of notorious gangster Ravi Pujari, who was wanted in connection with an extortion case, has been apprehended at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The arrest took place on Thursday, involving Vijay Purushottam Salvi, who has been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Immigration authorities took Salvi into custody as he arrived on a flight from the UAE, subsequently handing him over to the city crime branch officials of Thane city police, stated a report in PTI.
Salvi, according to the PTI report, was facing charges related to extortion, with a case registered under section 385 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the MCOCA. The background of the case revolves around an extortion call made by gangster Ravi Pujari in 2017, demanding a sum of Rs 10 crore from Mahendra Pamnani, a prominent figure associated with Roma Builders. Alongside this demand, Pujari allegedly issued threats to Pamnani's life and sent sharpshooters to the builder's office located in Thane.
The police, during their investigation, managed to apprehend Salvi, who was allegedly armed with firearms at the time of his arrest. This situation not only links Salvi to the extortion case but also brings up additional criminal charges. Salvi has prior cases against him, including charges of attempted murder and violations of the Arms Act. These cases are associated with the Kasturba Marg, Samta Nagar, and Kasarwadavali police stations. The arrest follows a lookout circular issued for him, indicating that authorities were actively seeking his capture.
The arrest of Salvi will likely contribute to the ongoing investigation into these criminal activities and may provide critical insights into the operations of gangster Ravi Pujari and his associates.
Maharashtra Police, in another case, arrested a man from Chennai for cheating a Navi Mumbai resident of Rs 21 lakh after masquerading as an Income Tax official. Police personnel from Cyber Police Station in Navi Mumbai arrested the accused Lokesh Kumar from Annanur in Chennai on October 9.
"Between August 6 and 11 this year, the accused contacted the victim over the phone and told him that the I-T department was keeping an eye on his bank account that he had opened in Nagpur as heavy transactions were recorded. The accused also told the victim that some parcels were being illegally sent to Canada using his name," senior inspector Gajanan Kadam of the Cyber police station said, reported PTI.
