THANE: The anti-extortion cell of crime branch have got the custody of four henchmen of the fugitive gangster Suresh Pujari , who were arrested by the Mumbai crime branch last month.The four accused are-- Harish Kotian, 30, Sanket Dalvi, 25, Prathmesh Kadam, 22 and Aniket Thakur, 25. The arrest had been made in connection with the firing at Bhiwandi by the Mumbai crime branch as the Thane police failed to nab them after committing the crime under their jurisdiction.The police said that the gang members had meticulously planned the operation to create fear on behest of Pujari, who had called up the owner of KN park hotel demanding Rs 25 lakh as ransom since the past two years. He had last year filed a complaint with Hill Line police in Ulhasnagar, where he resides. The owner did not heed to the threat calls and hence on 10 January, the masked hencemen came to KN park hotel and shot on the thighs of receptionist Swara Shirsath 25, with illegal fire arm, said Rajkumar Kothmire, the police inspector of Anti Extortion Cell.Kothmire informed that following the sustained interrogation by Vilas Ghodke and other team members the quartet confessed to have been involved in three other cases. “They have confessed working for the Pujari gang and their involvement is confirmed in two extortion cases of Dombivali and one case of Kalyan,” Kothmire informed TOI.The police have not ruled out their involvement in the other cases as well which shall be ascertained in the further probe.“We are still trying to find out that from whom they procured the illegal fire arm and who are the other accomplice including one auto driver who aided the gang in committing the crime. The probe is underway and there could be more developments from them,” Ghodke informed.There is one more juvenile involved in the case who has been remanded to juvenile home after due questioning in the case.

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