Underworld don Bannanje Raja to be extradited to Bengaluru within a week

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, August 7, 2015: Mangaluru-based fugitive underworld don Bannanje Raja, who has been on the run for 18 years before his arrest in Morocco in February this year, will be extradited to Bengaluru within a week, Director General and Inspector General of Police Om Prakash said here on Friday.

Terming the extradition as the first in the history of state police, Mr. Prakash also announced a cash reward of Rs. 10 lakh for the team which would get Bannanje Raja from Morocco.

The State police had to prepare documents weighing upto 100 kgs to submit to Moroccan authorities to substantiate their claim over his extradition, Mr. Prakash said.

Bannanje Raja alias Rajendra hailing from Malpe (Karnataka) was booked for being a rowdy in Malpe in 1990. He later went on to organise a gang and indulged in criminal activities including the rape of a college girl in Udupi and extortion. With his criminal activities expanding to Bengaluru, he was arrested in 1995 by J.B. Nagar police under Arms act.

Raja, who has over 44 criminal cases against him, fled to Dubai and from there shifted base to Morocco, before he was caught by the law enforcement agency there, based on information provided by the Indian police. He was in possession of three passports in three different names.

The State police managed to get issued a Red Corner notice against him for his alleged role in the extortion racket in Bengaluru and Mangaluru in 2009. The police said that Raja used to VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calls to dodge the police.

Mr. Prakash said that Bannanje Raja’s network can be exposed after detailed interrogation. He also hinted that a probe would be conducted on how Bannanje Raja managed to procure two passports from Bengaluru and Mangaluru and take necessary action.