Thane: The Thane Crime Branch reportedly arrested gangster Ravi Pujari on Wednesday. He was arrested in connection with an extortion case filed in 2017, according to officials.
The Anti-Extortion Cell of the Thane Police took him into custody. After his arrest, Pujari was produced before a special MCOCA court. The court remanded him to police custody until 27 March 2026 for further investigation, an official said.
According to the police, the 57-year-old had been living abroad for several years and was involved in criminal activities from overseas. A case against Pujari was registered at Kasarvadavali Police Station in 2017 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including extortion and criminal conspiracy.
The case includes provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), making it a serious organised crime case. Vinay Ghorpade of the Thane Crime Branch is heading the investigation.
A Red Corner Notice had been issued against him earlier. He was detained in Senegal in 2019. He was later brought to India through the legal extradition process and lodged in a Bengaluru jail before being taken into custody by the Thane Police.
In January, Pujari was arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection with a 2018 extortion case involving Bollywood choreographer Remo D'Souza and his wife, Lizelle D'Souza.
