Overview

• On May 27, 2025, a Mumbai court designated under the CBI cleared Pujari of murder and conspiracy under IPC and MCOCA.
• Anil Sharma, an alleged member of Dawood Ibrahim’s gang, was shot dead in Andheri on September 2, 1999 in a killing blamed on rival Chhota Rajan’s network.
• Earlier proceedings saw 11 co-accused acquitted and Chhota Rajan discharged for lack of prima facie evidence linking him to the plot.
• Pujari was extradited from Senegal in 2020 after living under an alias and remains in Karnataka custody facing unrelated criminal cases.
• The court’s detailed judgment is pending release, highlighting enduring challenges in prosecuting decades-old organised crime offences.