Kerala ATS to probe role of gangster Ravi Pujari in more cases

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Kerala Police, which is currently questioning underworld don Ravi Pujari in the Kadavanthra beauty parlour shooting case, is expected to seek his custody for more days. This is to investigate his role in other cases such as the shooting incident at Bevinje in Kasaragod district. 

Moreover, Pujari is also an accused in cases registered over the life threats issued over phone to former Opposition Leader of Kerala Ramesh Chennithala and former Member of the Legislative Assembly P C George.

The shooting at the beauty parlour at Kadavanthra in Kochi city took place on December 15, 2018. A day before the incident, its owner, actress Leena Maria Paul, had received a call from a person claiming to be Ravi Pujari demanding an amount of Rs 25 crore as extortion money. When she refused to pay up, the shooting was carried out to scare Leena and a slip of paper scribbled with the name ‘Ravi Pujari’ was left on the scene, according to the police.

A similar operation was executed by Pujari’s gang against contractor M T Muhammed Kunju at Kasaragod in 2008 and 2013. On both these occasions, a gang fired at Kunju’s house and pieces of paper with Pujari’s name were found from the spot. Incidentally, the main accused in this case, a goon named Kaliya Rafeek, was later killed in an encounter near Mangaluru in Karnataka.