Bengaluru: Fugitive underworld gangster Bannanje Raja, who masterminded an extortion racket in Bangalore and coastal Karnataka, has been detained in Morocco, by the local police of that country.
According to preliminary reports, Bannanje Raja was arrested in Morocco on Monday, in a fake passport case and he will be deported to Dubai, where he has been taking shelter since many years and running a hotel business.
An officer said that he will be handed over to Indian counterparts depending on the basis of evidence of his crimes in Karnataka and other parts. A team from the Mangaluru police will be rushing to Bengaluru and to seek legal help from legal section of the state police to decide on how to go about it.
Rajendra Kumar alias Bannanje Raja, was involved in many crimes in Karnataka, including that of the recent murder of businessman and co-operative leader RN Nayak at Ankola, Uttara Kannada Dist.on December 21, 2013. The Mangaluru and Bengaluru police have issued several red alert notices against Raja, through the CID, the nodal agency of the Interpol wing of CBI.
According to the sources, the Interpol sleuths are verifying information about Raja’s links with another foreign- based gangster Ravi Poojary, who has been running an extortion business in Bangalore, Mangalore and other areas. Raja’s antecedents and his links to other gangsters are being investigated by the Interpol.
The Moroccoan police can keep Raja in their custody only for a week or so. Raja will be released according to local laws if the state police fail to take him into their custody through the body warrant of the Interpol, an officer said.
It may be recalled that Rajendra Kumar alias Bannanje Raja was arrested by Interpol sleuths at Abu Dhabi airport in Dubai on October 11, 2009 in a fake passport case. The state police swung into action only when Raja was released on bail reportedly guaranteed by a UK-based Indian businessman.
Rajendra Kumar alias Bannanje Raja (RK), also involved in extortion, attempt-to-murder and murder cases in Bengaluru and Dakshina Kannada /Udupi districts has also joined the city police list. Bannanje Raja has been facing murder, rape, rioting, and extortion cases. He is wanted in at least 25 criminal cases in Bangalore city, Manipal, Udupi, Malpe and other places of the state, police said.
Now the question is, that whether the Karnataka police can prove his involvement in crimes to take him into custody. When he was arrested in Dubai in 2009, the Interpol made serious attempts to extradite Raja but could not prove the charges when Raja’s lawyer raised questions regarding his direct involvement in these crimes.
