Mumbai, March 23 - After years on the run, notorious gangster Prasad Vitthal Pujari has been brought back to Mumbai from China by the Mumbai Police. Pujari, a member of the Kumar Pillai gang, had been living in China on a temporary residence visa since 2008 and had managed to evade Indian authorities during this time. Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him.

The police revealed that Pujari had taken extreme measures to avoid capture, including marrying a Chinese woman. Despite these efforts, China agreed to hand him over to Indian authorities. A team of police officers escorted the 44-year-old Pujari back to Mumbai on a flight on Saturday morning and took him into custody.

Pujari's criminal activities spanned a range of serious offenses, including a failed attempt to murder a Shiv Sena functionary, kidnapping, issuing death threats, and running an extortion ring targeting prominent individuals in Mumbai and other locations. He is a resident of Vikhroli in north-eastern Mumbai.

In 2020, Pujari, along with his mother Indira Vitthal Pujari and two others, conspired to kidnap a builder in order to extort Rs 10 lakh. While Mumbai Police managed to arrest Indira Pujari, her son remained elusive. During interrogation, Indira Pujari revealed that Prasad had also married a Chinese woman as part of his efforts to evade Indian authorities.