New Delhi: After nearly two decades on the run, notorious gangster Prasad Pujari has been deported from China to Mumbai airport. Pujari, wanted in numerous criminal cases including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and extortion, had been evading law enforcement for nearly 20 years. Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him, and intelligence agencies have confirmed his deportation from China.

Pujari, known for spreading terror in Mumbai, had been residing in China for several years. The Chinese authorities agreed to extradite him to India, prompting action from the Mumbai Police. A senior officer from the Mumbai Crime Branch had stated that Pujari would be apprehended upon his arrival in Mumbai. This marks the first extradition case of an absconding criminal from China to India.

Despite his involvement in multiple serious crimes, including firing incidents, extortion, and murders, Pujari had managed to evade capture until now, posing a significant challenge for the Mumbai Police. He was apprehended by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong in February 2023. Acting on information provided by Interpol, Pujari was detained on charges related to possessing a fake passport as he attempted to board a flight from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. In an attempt to evade Indian agencies, Pujari had married a Chinese woman and was residing in Shenzhen with his family.

Pujari, originally from Tagore Nagar in Vikhroli, Mumbai, had fled the country around a decade ago. He had been targeting builders and businessmen in Mumbai, and his name had surfaced in various criminal cases, including a firing incident targeting a Shiv Sena worker named Chandrakant Jadhav in Vikhroli in December 2019. Fortunately, Jadhav escaped unhurt as the bullet missed its target. Pujari was also implicated in organizing a fatal attack on a Shiv Sena leader in previous years.