Gangster Ravi Pujari acquitted in 2001 shootout and murder of Bengaluru builder

PTI, Aug 22, 2022, 7:59 AM IST

Image credit: ANI / File

Bengaluru: A special court here has acquitted international gangster Ravi Pujari in the 2001 shootout and murder of a city-based builder.

The Special Court judge in the judgement delivered on August 18 said, “There is no evidence before this court to prove beyond reasonable doubt that prior to January 5, 2001, Ravi Pujari conspired with the other accused to kill the builder.

It was alleged that Poojari conspired with seven others and supplied “one 0.9 mm pistol, one 0.38 revolver and live bullets in a gift packet through Hawala,” to two other accused, who carried out the shooting of Subbaraju.

Subbaraju was murdered at his office in Seshadripuram in the presence of his two sons, who are the prime witness in the case.

Subbaraju had allegedly refused to back down from the purchase of a prime property in Bengaluru despite threats from Muthappa Rai, an underworld figure then operating from Dubai.

Police alleged that Rai along with Pujari, and others conspired to eliminate Subbaraju. Yusuf Bachkana and Nitin Sawant were the two shooters who carried out the murder.

In the trial, Rai, and four others were acquitted by the court for lack of evidence. Only Bachkana was sentenced to life.

Pujari was extradited to India from Senegal in 2020 and a split charge sheet was filed against him in the same case.

The police also presented 14 witnessed and 78 documents to prove their case.

“On March 10, 2020, Yogendra Kumar, Police Inspector, Vyalikaval Police Station, Bengaluru has recorded the confessional statement of accused No.2, while accused no. 2 (Pujari) was in police custody,” the trial court noted.

This was the only additional evidence against Pujari that the police submitted before the trial court. During the examination, Pujari denied all charges. The confession before the police is not admissible in court, it was pointed out.

The court found all the charges against Pujari; criminal conspiracy, conspiracy for murder, attempt to murder and under the Arms Act could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.