Underworld don Bannanje Raja home, to face 44 cases

Bengaluru/Belagavi: State police’s most-wanted underworld don Bannanje Raja, a notorious criminal who has 44 cases registered against him in various parts of the state, was brought to the Kempegowda International Airport in the city from Morocco by a special police team on Friday evening, and was immediately flown to Belagavi.

Raja, who was brought to the state after a gap of 18 years and seven months, was produced before District Principal and Sessions Judge P. Krishna Bhat in Belagavi in connection with the murder of a Mangaluru-based realtor, Ramachandra Narayan Naik, in 2013 on the alleged orders of Raja. The don, who made extortion calls to industrialists and realtors in the state, got Mr Naik killed to instill fear among other businessmen, the police said.

He was brought to Bengaluru by a team of police officers headed by Mr Pratap Reddy, Additional Commissioner, West and Mr Annamalai, SP,  Udupi in an Air India flight at 3.35 pm. Soon after landing, he was taken to a special room near the CISF cabin, where the airlines and immigration officials completed the formalities. He was later flown to Belgaum in a Spicejet flight.

Udupi police gets Bannanje’s custody

After absconding from the state police for nearly 18 years and seven months after being arrested by the Morocco police, notorious underworld operative Bannanje Raja was brought to Bengaluru on Friday. He was flown in by a team of police officers, headed by Pratap Reddy, Additional Commissioner, West and Annamalai, Udupi SP, in an Air-India flight around 3.35 pm.

He was later flown to Belagavi in a Spicejet flight by the police. There he will be taken to a court for police custody in connection with the R.N. Naik’s murder case in Ankola. The team had left the city on August 10 to Rabat, Morocco, to bring Raja him to India.

Soon after landing, Raja was taken to special room near CISF cabin and the airlines officials, including immigration staff, dropped into the cabin and completed the paperwork. Later the police team took him to Belagavi.

Raja has over 44 criminal cases against him. He used to make extortion calls to businessmen and demand ransom through his syndicate called B.R. Company. In 2013 he got an industrialist R.N. Naik murdered, though the police had provided a gunman to the victim. Naiks had refused to pay extortion money.

It may be recalled that Raja was arrested in Casablanca, by the Morocco police on February 12 this year, based on the information given by the state police to the Indian government, who had passed on the information to their Moroccan counterparts. With the assistance of the officials at Rabat, Paris, and Indian Embassy along with the CBI Interpol division, the extradition process of Raja was completed.

Though there was no extradition treaty between India and Morocco, the state police made all efforts to convince the Morocco government and the court of Cassation to clear his extradition process by sending them the details of 16 cases that were registered here in the state against Raja.

Remanded till August 28

Karnataka police's most-wanted underworld don Bannanje Raja was produced before the court in Belagavi on Friday evening, after his extradition from Morocco. Amidst high police security, Raja was brought to Belgavi in a flight on Friday evening and straightaway taken to the court and produced before District Principal and Sessions Judge P. Krishna Bhat in connection with the murder of a Mangaluru-based realtor Ramachandra Narayan Naik that took place in 2013, allegedly on the orders of Raja.

According to sources, Raja has been remanded to custody of Udupi police until August 28 by the judge. Hundreds of police personnel were deployed in and around Belagavi court premises. At 9.25 pm, he was taken in a police vehicle to Udupi. Police said the 47-year-old mafia don was constantly threatening businessmen in Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Udupi over phone from Casablanca. Raja hails from Udupi and had ventured into the world of crime by getting involved in petty crimes during his college days.

Raja’s wife expected soon

n According to the sources, Bannanje Raja’s wife Sona Hegde, who has been residing in Dubai with him, is expected to fly to the country to help him get legal assistance. Police authorities are on high alert regarding her arrival and she could also be taken into the custody for investigation, sources said