Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 7: Notorious underworld don Bannanje Raja will be brought to Bengaluru from Morocco in the next five days, highly placed sources told daijiworld.
A team of police officers from the state including three from Mangaluru have left for Morocco to take custody of Raja.
A few media have reported that Bannanje Raja has already been brought to Bengaluru, however, reliable sources said that it was not true and that Raja would be brought to Bengaluru in the next five days.
Also, state DG-IGP Om Prakash on Friday August 7 held a press meet in Bengaluru and clarified that Raja has not been brought to India yet. A team of six police officers led by Pratap Reddy has left for Morocco and Raja will be brought here within a week, he said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said "Raja is a noted criminal and is wanted in 44 cases in Karnataka. He is also wanted by Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and other states' police."
Raja is wanted in cases including extortion, 'hafta' collection, threatening and alleged murders through his associates.
Prakash said Raja was originally from Malpe in Udupi district, and he started his activities there.
"His first crime according to our records is in 1990 in Udupi...subsequently he came to Bengaluru and expanded his activities. After 1998 he has gone abroad and continued his criminal activity from there," he said.
Interpol red corner notice was also issued against Raja. He possessed fake passports in three different names. Raja was arrested in February in Morocco, Prakash said, adding, officials there had informed India about his arrest.
"Our investigation team on receiving the information about this arrest had sent provisional arrest request to Morocco, requesting them to keep him under custody," he said.
Sources also said that all necessary documents for Raja's extradition have been cleared by the government, and that details of the cases against him in India have been translated and submitted in Moroccon court.
Bannanje Raja had left India in 1996, and since then made Dubai his home, from where he used to direct criminal operations in India. Born as Rajendra Kumar, he was known to be a rowdy from the then 'Malpe Gang' and took part in several brawls during his college days. His name entered the criminal world with the murder of Kokkarne Kushala Shetty in 1991. After shifting base to Bengaluru, getting arrested for possession of arms and ammunition, and then flying to Dubai, Bannaje reportedly directed a number of extortion, murder threats, murders etc in India.
Bannanje was arrested in Morocco on February 10 this year for possessing fake passport, and had made efforts to get back to Dubai instead of being tried for offences in India. An agreement to hand over Raja to India was signed recently. Policemen of Mumbai, Mangaluru and Udupi in addition to the city police, are waiting to try him for several offences.
With PTI Inputs