Court acquits gangster Ravi Pujari in 1999 muder linked to Dawood gang

A special court in Mumbai acquitted gangster Ravi Pujari in the 1999 murder case of Anil Sharma. A verdict was sentenced on May 27 by special judge AM Patil, considering insufficient evidence to sustain the charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). 

Anil Sharma, a gang member of Dawood Ibrahim`s, came into media limelight during the 1992 JJ Hospital shootout. He was shot dead in Mumbai’s Andheri suburb on September 2, 1999.  According to the prosecution the murder was framed by the members of Chota Rajan gang, rooting from the serious rivalry between gangs of Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim. 

However, the court has earlier dropped charges on Chhota Rajan from this case due to lack of prima facie evidence linked to the murder. 

This acquittal marks the first judgement involving Ravi Pujari in Mumbai since his extradition from Senegal in 2020, reported PTI. 

Pujari was arrested in Dakar while he was living under the alias Anthony Fernandes. For years he was escaping from the Indian authorities. Post this arrest, he has been facing multiple charges under Indian jurisdictions. 

The verdict of the court also highlights the major issues faced during prosecuting cases like organised crime, where gathering evidence and witness testimonies is difficult. According to this case, the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence that would prove charges alleged not only on Pujari but also on other 11 accused.

The court has previously acquitted 11 other accused connected  to the same case but due to lack of evidence, the charges were dropped. Charges on Chhota Rajan were also dropped previously due to lack of evidence. 

Ravi Pujari remains under judicial custody under multiple charges involving other criminal cases in Karnataka. The detailed verdict from the Mumbai court is still pending, and it is expected to shed more light on the reasoning behind the acquittal and its potential impact on the broader fight against organized crime in India.

The case sets an example for future legal strategies and highlights the obstacles faced by law enforcement during investigating cases related to criminal networks.

(With inputs from PTI)

This article first appeared on Mid Day