Gangster Ravi Pujari Arrested In 2018 Remo D'Souza Extortion Case

Notorious gangster Ravi Pujari has been arrested and brought to Mumbai to face trial in a 2018 extortion case involving Bollywood choreographer-director Remo D'Souza.

Pujari, who was deported from Senegal last year, is accused of making threatening calls to D'Souza demanding a ransom of Rs 3 crore in 2018.

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"The accused had threatened to harm D'Souza and his family if his demands were not met," said a Mumbai Crime Branch official.

D'Souza had filed a complaint with the police after receiving multiple threatening calls. The investigation revealed that the calls were made from international locations where Pujari was hiding.

Pujari, originally from Karnataka, is wanted in over 50 cases across India, including murder, extortion, and criminal intimidation. He had been operating from various African and European countries to evade arrest.

The choreographer expressed relief at the arrest. "I'm glad the law is catching up with such elements. I hope this sends a strong message," D'Souza said in a statement.

The Mumbai Crime Branch is also investigating Pujari's links to other extortion cases involving film industry personalities.

He has been remanded to police custody for 14 days for further investigation.