Bengaluru, Nov 2026 : Underworld figure Ravi Pujari will be brought from Bengaluru prison to his native Udupi district on Saturday to attend the last rites of his mother, Susheela Pujarthi, who died at her residence in Nergi on Wednesday night.
Pujari will travel to Udupi under tight police security, with the funeral scheduled to take place at Malpe. The Bengaluru City Armed Reserve (CAR) Police have been assigned the responsibility of escorting him from Bengaluru to Udupi and bringing him back after the funeral. Local police personnel will also provide security during his stay.
The court has directed the police to return Pujari to Bengaluru immediately after the completion of the final rites. The entire cost of the escort and security arrangements will be borne by him.
Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar confirmed that the court had granted Pujari permission to attend his mother's funeral. The Bengaluru prison authorities are coordinating with the Udupi police to ensure the arrangements are carried out.
As part of the security preparations, local police personnel have already visited Pujari's residence and assessed the arrangements required for his visit. Measures have also been put in place to regulate his movement and ensure security during the funeral proceedings.
Pujari, 50, traces his roots to a village near the coastal town of Malpe in Udupi district. His father, Surya Pujari, who worked with a shipping firm, died five years ago. His mother and sisters are currently based in New Delhi.
Although born in Karnataka, Pujari grew up largely in Mumbai, where he entered the underworld in the early 1990s. He reportedly began his criminal career with a murder in Andheri and was initially associated with underworld don Chhota Rajan. He later established his own criminal network.
Pujari reportedly projected himself as a “Hindu don” and used communal rhetoric during threat calls. However, his alleged extortion activities also targeted businessmen from different communities.
He was arrested in connection with several extortion cases, including a 2018 case involving Bollywood choreographer Remo D'Souza and his wife, Lizelle D'Souza.
Pujari was deported from Senegal in 2020 and has remained in custody since then. His visit to Udupi for his mother's final rites is being carried out under court-mandated conditions and extensive police supervision.
