Mumbai: The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) has arrested notorious gangster Prasad Pujari in connection with multiple cases. Pujari allegedly made threatening calls from an international number, pressuring the complainant to provide a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to secure bail for his mother.

In this matter, an FIR was registered at Vikhroli police station on March 23, 2023. The AEC took Pujari into custody on Friday, and the court has remanded him in police custody until March 10.

Earlier, his gang member, Sagar Mishra, attempted to kill the complainant by opening fire on him. Following this, Mishra, Pujari's mother, and 10 others were arrested. Now, Pujari has also been taken into custody in the same case and presented before the court, which sent him to police custody.

The case dates back to December 2020, when Jadhav was ambushed near a Sai Baba temple in Vikhroli East. Shooters Sagar Mishra and Shetty fired multiple rounds at him, injuring his hand. Mishra was caught by Jadhav’s son and bystanders, while Shetty managed to flee but was later identified through CCTV footage. Following the attack, Pujari’s mother, cousin, and six others were arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for allegedly financing and orchestrating the crime.

Based on Jadhav’s complaint and recorded calls, an FIR was registered against Pujari at the Vikhroli police station on March 23, 2023. Upon his recent arrest, police collected his voice samples for forensic verification. The court has remanded him in police custody until March 10.

Pujari has a long criminal history, with 11 cases of murder, attempted murder, and extortion registered against him at Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, LT Marg police stations, and the AEC. He previously served two-and-a-half years in jail for an attempted murder case but was acquitted in 2005 due to insufficient evidence.

Originally from Tagore Nagar, Vikhroli, Pujari was once associated with gangster Pillai’s network. Seeking to expand his criminal operations, he moved to China in 2005 on a student visa, allegedly to study Chinese language and mass communication. However, he continued running his extortion racket from abroad. Investigations revealed that his mother, Indira, had traveled to China and Hong Kong five times between 2009 and 2016 to meet him and coordinate his criminal activities.

With Pujari now in custody, the police are probing his international connections and criminal network in Mumbai.