Businessman who helped Ravi Pujari’s wife, acquitted

Mumbai: The chief metropolitan magistrate’s court has acquitted a businessman accused of helping Padma Ravi Pujari, the wife of fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari, in acquiring six fake passports in 2005. The court, while acquitting the accused Virendra Pande, held that the prosecution could not produce enough evidence against Pande. The court also noted that the investigation officer in his testimony had said that Pande only obtained Padma Pujari’s signature on the passport form and nothing else.

According to the prosecution, in 2005, assistant police inspector (API) Milind Khetle, attached to unit-11 of the crime branch, came to know that Padma Pujari on several occasions met her husband Ravi Pujari. Mr Khetle summoned her to the police station and asked her to submit all documents, filed at the time of application for her passport and those of her children.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Padma Pujari from 1999 to 2002 visited Uganda, Bangkok, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania. There were six passports with different residential addresses. Mr Khetle then asked for help from the passport office, Worli, and brought all documents such as school leaving certificate, ration card and affidavits filed by her. It emerged that the passports she had obtained were fake. It was alleged that Pande helped her to get an Indian passport on the basis of false documents.

The prosecution examined five witnesses including a retired passport officer. The court while passing order noted that the prosecution had only brought evidence pertaining to Padma Pujari but not against Pande.