Preity Zinta case: Indian Don Ravi Pujari running racket from Australia?
Mumbai: Indian gangster Ravi Pujari is believed to be running an extortion racket from a secret hideout in Australia, according to police sources.
46-year-old Mumbai born Pujari made threatening phone calls to industrialist Ness Wadia’s firm, warning him to stay away from actress Preity Zinta.
According to sources in the crime branch, the message instructed Wadia not to “run around the lady (sic)” and warned that his “business would be in trouble” otherwise.
Nusli Wadia on Tuesday complained to the police about having received threatening calls and text messages from the “underworld”, ostensibly connected to the ongoing case against Ness Wadia, as the caller asked him to stay away from Preity Zinta.
Read: Cops verify CCTVs for Preity Zinta molestation case; Ness rejects charges
The calls were received by his personal assistant along with an SMS asking him not to bother the actor.
Mr Nusli’s personal secretary also received an SMS that said: “Give message to Wadia, don't f--- around with Preity Zinta or else I will f--- whole of your business. Don Ravi Pujari.”
Pujari is wanted on charges of murder, conspiracy to kill and illegal possession of firearms.
Also Read: 'No messing with Preity,' Wadias complain threat from underworld
In India, the notorious underworld don targeted construction and hospitality industries in the 1990s. The man also has a fake Australian passport and has managed to evade police for a long time now.
Fluent in English, Hindi, Pujari is believed to have cemented his reputation by assassinating a rival gangster named Bala Zalte, according to smh.com.au
Meanwhile, Delhi-based lawyer M.S. Khan who represented Yasin Bhatkal said that her received an overseas call on his mobile phone on January 16 from a man who someone who identified himself as the “underworld Don Ravi Pujari”.
The caller warned Khan that unless he stopped defending Bhatkal, his own life would be in danger.
He also received an SMS that evening, saying: “I am going to kill one of ur family members. Don Ravi Pujari”.
Mumbai CP Rakesh Maria confirmed the incident saying the complaint was submitted to the NM Joshi police station where the statement was recorded and immediately transferred to the anti-extortion cell of the crime branch.
Also Read: False and baseless allegations: Ness Wadia on Preity's sexual molestation complaint
While the exact details of the conversation are still not clear, police sources said that the series of phone calls were received between 2 pm and 8 pm.
Meanwhile, Preity is expected to leave for India from Los Angeles on Thursday, according to a senior police officer, with the cops awaiting to record her supplementary statement in the FIR by her.
Watch: Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia's CCTV footage
