Mcoca slapped against arrested Ravi Pujari gang members

The Mumbai crime branch on Thursday evoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (Mcoca) in the case registered against the Ravi Pujari gang members for allegedly plotting to kill film producer-director Mahesh Bhatt.

The court presided over by judge YD Shinde slapped the stringent Act on all the eleven arrested accused. All the accused are in the custody of DCB, CID Prevention of Motor Vehicle Theft department.

According to sources in the crime branch, the case fits in the criterion that are required to evoke Mcoca. "It surely is an organised crime that they were about to carry out. Apart from that gangster Ravi Pujari already has a charge sheet on his name and hence we have applied Mcoca in the case," said a source in the crime branch.

Advocate Rajesh Shrivastav, who is appearing on behalf of the accused, while speaking to dna, said, "None of the accused were found in possession of sophisticated weapons; thus, the case doesn't attract the ingredients of Mcoca. At the time of filing of charge sheet, the stringent sections of Mcoca will have to be dropped from the case."

A few days back, the crime branch had arrested 13 members of the Pujari gang for allegedly plotting to kill Mahesh Bhatt and for firing outside Bollywood producer Karim Morani's office in August.