Karnataka High Court Seeks Centre's Stand On Gangster Ravi Pujari's Plea Against Trial In Cases Not Mentioned In His Extradition Order

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday asked the Union Government to clarify whether an accused who is extradited from a foreign country to India for being tried in certain cases mentioned in the extradition treaty, can be tried for other offences.

A single judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit has sought the clarification in a petition filed by gangster Ravi Pujari @ Raviprakash, who was extradited from Senegal to India in the year 2020 and is presently lodged in a prison in Maharashtra.

The petition filed through advocate Dilraj Jude Rohit Sequeira claims that Pujari is booked in 107 cases in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. However, the Extradition Court had mentioned the list of cases in which he can be tried. Therefore, it is contended that subjecting Pujari to interrogation and conducting trial in cases other than those mentioned in the extradition order violates Section 21 of the Extradition Act.

"As per Section 21 of the Extradition Act, the person who has been extradited can be tried only in the cases mentioned in Extradition Order and not in the other cases," it is argued.

Pujari also claims that State has not taken steps to investigate the cases and file chargesheet in the cases mentioned in the extradition order in spite of him being in judicial custody for almost 3 years. This, he claims, jeopardises his interest and if such a practice is adopted, there will not be any hope for an accused to come out from incarceration.

“The cases pertaining to the State of Maharashtra are still in the investigation stage. The cases pertaining to Thane 6 in number are yet to be investigated. The police pertaining to Thane district i. e. the respondent No. 05 have not made any attempt to secure the custody of petitioner for the purpose of investigation in the last 3 years," it is averred.

The plea prays for a direction to the respondents to see to it that the cases pending against Pujari are disposed of at the earliest, with following among other grounds to be urged at the time of arguments.

Case Title: Ravi Poojari @ Raviprakash And Union of India & Others

Case No: WP 907/2023.