Was Ravi Pujari a double agent of the D-Company?

Kochi: The arrest and interrogation of extradited gangster Ravi Pujari has opened a Pandora’s Box of revelations on the dreaded Mumbai underworld and its mafia dons.

Investigators strongly suspect that Ravi Pujari acted as a double agent of mafia kingpin Dawood Ibrahim's criminal syndicate, D-Company.

Criminal Chhota Rajan, who was once a trusted aide of Dawood Ibrahim, had introduced Karnataka native Ravi Pujari to the Mumbai underworld.

After having a fallout with Chhota Shakeel, another aide of Dawood, Chhota Rajan split from the D-Company and started his own network.

He since then became a marked man, and Dawood’s gang attempted to assassinate Chhota Rajan at Bangkok in Thailand. Ravi Pujari, who also rose in prominence during this time, raised a war cry against Dawood over the assassination attempt.

However, the investigative agencies now suspect this to be a ploy.

Chhota Rajan, who was arrested from Bali in Indonesia by the CBI, is currently lodged in Tihar jail.

Ravi Pujari, who fled India in 2000, was arrested from Africa with the help of Interpol and extradited to India recently. Over hundred cases, including murder, abduction, and extorting money through blackmail, have been registered against him.

Ravi Pujari lived as Antony Fernandes in Australia, Senegal, and South Africa. However, during all this while, he attacked a person associated with the D-Company only once. Apart from attacking Chhota Shakeel's advocate Rashid Malabari, Ravi Pujari has not harmed anyone else from Dawood's gang.

There is also confidential information that that Ravi Pujari had acted as the middleman of Dawood, who had lost several of his ties in the Indian police force after the Mumbai serial blasts.

The agencies have received evidence that despite the split with Chhota Rajan, the D-Company continued to have ties with Ravi Pujari discreetly.

Accused in Kochi case

Ravi Pujari is the main accused in the 2018 Kadavanthra saloon shooting case registered in Kerala. As per the case, an attempt was made to extort money from Leena Maria Paul, the salon owner and accused in financial fraud cases, by issuing death threats.

It is unlikely that Ravi Pujari would be brought to Kerala soon as there is only one case filed against him in the state. Around 170 cases have been registered against Ravi Pujari in various states. Ninety-seven cases have been filed in Karnataka alone. He is currently under the custody of the Karnataka Police.

Kerala cops in Bengaluru

A team of Kerala Police is in Bengaluru to collect more details after Ravi Pujari revealed that he had had financial dealings with certain officers of the force.

Anti-terrorist squad head Anup Kuruvilla John, and Kollam additional SP Jossy Cherian are part of the team. They would try to get more details by coordinating with the Karnataka Police.

First Ravi Pujari's statements would be officially recorded. Details of his other ties in Kerala would also be collected.