Gangster Ravi Pujari admits role in 2018 Kochi beauty parlour shooting case: ATS report

Gangster Ravi Pujari, arrested by the anti-terrorist squad of the Kerala police in connection with the Kochi beauty parlour shooting case of 2018, has admitted his role and involvement in the case, says the remand report filed by the ATS.

In the remand report filed before the additional chief judicial magistrate court (Economic Offences), Ernakulam, on Tuesday, the ATS said he was interrogated in detail while in police custody during which he admitted his role and involvement in the case.

He has also admitted his involvement and the role in the shooting case, executed in 2010 by his gang members at Bevincha in Kasargod, which he masterminded from Senegal.

In the Bevincha shooting case, the assailants targeted one Mohammad Kunhi, a dealer in gold business, in an attempt to extort money from him.

Pujari was brought to Kochi from Bengaluru last Wednesday as part of the probe into the shooting which occurred at the beauty parlour run by actress Leena Maria Paul in December 2018.

After completing his custody period on Tuesday, Pujari was remanded to judicial custody and sent back to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison at Bengaluru.

In her complaint, the actress has alleged that she had received Internet threat calls on her mobile phone, demanding Rs 25 crore on November 3, 2018 under instructions from Pujari.

According to her, the caller had threatened to kill the actress if the money was not paid.

The ATS said the investigation has revealed that with the intention of extorting money from the actress, Pujari made many threatening phone calls and SMS via internet numbers (Senagalese phone number) and a France mobile number and from a Malaysian phone number to the phone numbers used by the actress.

When Pujari made threatening calls, he introduced himself as Ravi Pujari, an underworld don, and demanded Rs 25 crore and also threatened that she would be killed if she failed to pay up.

When she ignored his demand, to prove his power, Pujari conspired over phone and other means, with other accused, at different times and at different places. As the result of their conspiracy, first accused Bilal and second accused Vipin Varghese, went to the beauty parlour located in Kadavanthra on a motorcycle, fitted with fake registration number plate, the report says.

The motorcycle was provided by fourth accused Althaf Khan.

Both Bilal and Varghese, carrying the pistol and revolver, which were also brought by Khan, on December 15, 2018, trespassed into the beauty parlour on the second floor, threatened the complainant and fired single shots each at 2.25 pm, causing fear of death to the complainant,according to the report. They had earlier parked the two-wheeler in front of the parlour.

For the planning and execution of the attack , fifth accused Nisam Salim and sixth accused Ajas provided every support, as per the report.