Extradited former gangster Ravi Pujari was on Monday taken into custody in another extortion case of a developer registered at Kandivali Police Station till 20 March after the court remanded him in judicial custody in the Gajalee restaurant firing case of 2016.
The crime branch had sought his further custody in the Gajalee case. Pujari had been in custodial interrogation in the case since February 23. His custody had been further extended on March 9 in the case upto March 15.
Pujari’s advocate Devanand Manerkar argued against his further custody and told the court that sufficient time has been given to the police for investigation already. The special court said in its order that the remand report seeking his further custody in the case seems to be a “just a replica” of the earlier remand report. It said that the period which is granted for police custody can be said to be sufficient and that it does not find a case is made out for extension of his custody.
Thereafter, the crime branch sought permission to produce Pujari before another court in the Kandivali extortion case. It also produced before the court the production warrant issued by another special court designated under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). Advocate Manerkar told the court that it is the same crime branch that is investigating both the cases and hence extension of the custody was not required.
The court said in its order that Pujari has been just remanded in judicial custody and the court has received a request letter as well as production warrant, hence it would be just and proper to hand over his custody to the investigating officer for production before the other special court.
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