A special court on Thursday acquitted 12 people, including gangster Obaid Radiowala, in connection with a shootout incident outside film producer Karim Morani’s Juhu bungalow in 2014 by alleged henchmen of gangster Ravi Pujari.
Morani was facing threats for overseas rights to promote the film ‘Happy New Year’ starring actors Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Boman Irani. Those acquitted are Mohd Radiowala, 43, Ishrat shaikh, 48, Ashpak Sayyed, 30, Azim khan, 28, Asif Khan, 35, Shahnawaz Shaikh, 42, Mohd Hasnath, 46, Ravikesh Singh, 32, Sufiyan Shaikh, 26, Faiz Shaikh, 29, Armaan Siddiqui, 28 and Obaid Radiowala, 50. Three including Pujari are named as wanted accused. Of the 12 acquitted, seven had been in custody.
What is the case all about?
The film was produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Morani was associated with another company that was managing the promotion of the film in the United States. As per the crime branch’s case, one of the accused sent threatening messages to Morani on behalf of Pujari in connection with promotion work of the film in the US. Between July 13 to July 15, 2014, Morani and two of his close family members received calls from Pujari inquiring about the promotion of the film. Pujari allegedly asked for giving the promotion work on a ‘cost to cost’ basis and threatened dire consequences if the demand is not met within 48 hours. Morani and his brother informed him that it is the company that is looking after the promotion work.
How gunemen attacked Morani's bungalow
The incident of firing took place on Aug 23, 2014. Three bike-borne men fired at the Juhu bungalow and also in the direction of its watchmen. Charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) were invoked against the accused as the crime branch alleged that they were part of Ravi Pujari’s organised crime syndicate. During the trial, actor Sonu Sood who was part of the film, had appeared in court to give his testimony. In his police statement given earlier, Sood had stated about receiving a threat SMS from a number where the sender claimed to be ‘Don Ravi Pujari’. The message asked him not to go for the promotion of the movie to the US, or he would be killed. The message had also asked him to pass the same to Shah Rukh Khan.
