Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Aug 26: With the recent arrests in one of the prominent murder cases in Udupi district, an underworld connection has once again emerged in the crime history of the coastal districts. Hemanth Poojary, a known aide of underworld don Chhota Rajan, has resurfaced in connection with the murder of Mudarangadi-based businessman David D’Souza.
The investigation into David D’Souza’s murder has led to Kishore Poojary, brother of Hemanth Poojary, who has been accused of providing the money required for the operation. Kishore Rama Poojary had allegedly sought to procure a contract at UPCL, Padubidri, which was later awarded to David D’Souza.
The notorious underworld gangster Hemant Poojary (HP - Hemant Poojary), who once terrorised the Mumbai underworld and was believed to have been dead for the past decade, is now suspected to have resurfaced.
The recent murder of businessman David in Mudarangadi on the coast has shocked the entire state as well as Mumbai Police. Police investigating the shooting of businessman David in Mudarangadi, Udupi district, on August 7 have uncovered alleged underworld connections, while audio clips purportedly featuring Hemanth Poojary have also surfaced.
Police have said they are verifying the audio clips and are yet to confirm whether the calls were made by Hemanth Poojary himself or by an impostor using his name.
Udupi SP Hariram Shankar confirmed that officials at UPCL and the deceased David D’Souza had received phone calls from a person claiming to be Hemanth Poojary, demanding that the contract be awarded to Kishore Poojary.
The same person allegedly coordinated with other accused in the case, including Chirag Poojary, Sadananda Devadiga and Kishore Poojary, as well as shooters Raju, Anmol Rastogi and Jiyaul Sheikh. His role in the incident is definitely there.
Hemanth Poojary was active in the Mumbai underworld, but for the past 10 years there had been no trace of him in any criminal activity. His name became a national sensation in March 2011 when 75-year-old bakery owner Angara Poojary was brutally shot dead in Goregaon, Mumbai, over a hafta (weekly rent) debt.
Hemanth Poojary, who had remained silent since 2011 and had not been involved in any known criminal activities, was reported to have died or been murdered in a foreign country in 2013. He had completely disappeared without coming to the attention of Indian investigative agencies.
But after exactly 11 years, the name 'HP' has come to the fore again through the Mudarangadi shootout in Udupi, raising serious concerns among businessmen along the coast. If the authenticity of the audio is confirmed, it could mark another major chapter in the dark history of the Indian underworld.
It is also learnt that several hoteliers on the coast and in Mumbai have received extortion calls in the name of Hemanth Poojary, and even the Mumbai Police have begun investigating the matter.
Among the cases linked to Poojary are the murders of hotelier Ratnakar Shetty, owner of Amantran Bar near Khar railway station, on December 21, 2001; hotelier Jaya Shetty of Golden Crown Hotel at Nana Chowk on May 4, 2001; hotelier Mohammed Shafi near Milan subway on April 4, 2001; as well as the killings of bomb blast accused Akbar Khan in Dongri and florist Sunil Sohans in Khar.
A Class XII dropout from Cardinal Gracias High School, Poojary grew up in the Nirmal Nagar slums of Khar and initially worked as a waiter in Ghatkopar. He later came into contact with members of the Chhota Rajan gang and rose through the ranks as a shooter.
Poojary first gained notoriety following the murder of builder Shaukat Sarkar in Khar in November 1999. He subsequently became part of Rajan's core team before allegedly breaking away around 2002 to form his own gang.
If the person heard in the audio clip is indeed Hemanth Poojary, a new and significant name could emerge in the David D’Souza murder case, potentially strengthening the suspected link between the coastal crime network and the Mumbai underworld.