Gangster Ravi Pujari acquitted in 2001 shootout and murder of B'luru builder
Bengaluru, Aug 21: A special court here has acquitted international gangster Ravi Pujari in the 2001 shootout and murder of a city-based builder.
The Special Court judge in the judgement delivered on August 18 said, "There is no evidence before this court to prove beyond reasonable doubt that prior to January 5, 2001, Ravi Pujari conspired with the other accused to kill the builder."
It was alleged that Poojari conspired with seven others and supplied "one 0.9 mm pistol, one 0.38 revolver and live bullets in a gift packet through Hawala," to two other accused, who carried out the shooting of Subbaraju.
Subbaraju was murdered at his office in Seshadripuram in the presence of his two sons, who are the prime witness in the case. Subbaraju had allegedly refused to backdown from the purchase of a prime property in Bengaluru despite threats from Muthappa Rai, an underworld figure then operating from Dubai.
Police alleged that Rai along with Pujari, and others conspired to eliminate Subbaraju. Yusuf Bachkana and Nitin Sawant were the two shooters who carried out the murder.
In the trial, Rai, and four others were acquitted by the court for lack of evidence. Only Bachkana was sentenced to life. Pujari was extradited to India from Senegal in 2020 and a split charge sheet was filed against him in the same case.
The police also presented 14 witnessed and 78 documents to prove their case.
"On March 10, 2020, Yogendra Kumar, Police Inspector, Vyalikaval Police Station, Bengaluru has recorded the confessional statement of accused No.2, while accused no. 2 (Pujari) was in police custody," the trial court noted.
This was the only additional evidence against Pujari that the police submitted before the trial court. During the examination Pujari denied all charges. The confession before the police is not admissible in court, it was pointed out. The court found all the charges against Pujari; criminal conspiracy, conspiracy for murder, attempt to murder and under the Arms Act could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
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Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu sends Mossad director to Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar
Nahariya (Israel), Jan 11: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu's office announced the decision Saturday. It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Qatar's capital, Doha, site of the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas group. His presence means high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are now involved.
Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war, and that occurred in the earliest weeks of fighting. The talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled since then.
Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas' ability to fight in Gaza. Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory. On Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry said over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.
Also being sent to Qatar are the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency and military and political advisers. Netanyahu's office said the decision followed a meeting with his defence minister, security chiefs and negotiators “on behalf of the outgoing and incoming US administrations.”
The office also released a photo showing Netanyahu with President-elect Donald Trump's incoming special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who was in Qatar this week.
Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza after being seized in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war are pressing Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.
The recovery of two hostages' bodies in the past week renewed fears that time is running out. Hamas has said that after months of heavy fighting, it isn't sure who is alive or dead.
Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and Trump to reach a deal before the January 20 inauguration.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week a deal is “very close” and he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration. But US officials have expressed similar optimism on several occasions over the past year.
Issues in the talks have included which hostages would be released in the first part of a phased ceasefire deal, which Palestinian prisoners would be released and the extent of any Israeli troop withdrawal from population centres in Gaza.
Hamas and other groups killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages into Gaza in the attack that started the war. A truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the past year.
