Dreaded gangster Ravi Pujari makes death threat calls to Karnataka ministers

BENGALURU: Minister of State for Fisheries and Youth and Sports, K Abhaya Chandra Jain received a death threat call from dreaded gangster Ravi Pujari on Saturday afternoon. Along with him, it is said even Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai also received a similar such call from Pujari. Speaking to TOI, Jain narrated the incident which transpired on Saturday night which left him stunned. "At around 12.39 pm, I was travelling from Mulki to Moodabidri. I suddenly received a call from an unknown internet number. The person on the other side claimed that he was Ravi Pujari and wanted to talk to Abhayachandra. I responded, and asked him what was the matter. Poojary, in Hindi, alleged that I was involved in the Prashant Poojary murder and that he was planning to finish me. I was taken a back, but regrouped and tried to tell him in my broken Hindi and English that I was nowhere involved in the murder," said Jain. During the conversation Pujari alleged that Jain and Rai were trying to protect the murderers of Prashanth Poojary and that they were working with the killers. With Ravi Pujari not ready to believe his words, Jain said he disconnected the call and immediately called up his local Moodabidri inspector to seek assistance. Later, Jain also called up his colleague and Home Minister K J George and informed him about the call. Having done the needful, Jain left for a programme to Dharmasthala. On Sunday morning, Jain finally decided that it was not appropriate to sit quite and approached Mangaluru police commissioner S Murugan to file another complaint. Meanwhile, sources in the Congress party state that even Ramanath Rai also received a similar such death threat from Ravi Pujari. However, citing his cabinet ministerial berth and trying to not create a local political crisis due to him and Poojary both hailing from the same community, Rai did not file any complaint. It is said the security for the both the Dakshina Kannada MLAs has been beefed up in light of the death threat. -TOI