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Bengaluru, Feb 24: Fugitive underworld don Ravi Poojary, with more than 90 criminal charges pending against him, was brought to the city in the wee hours of Monday after he was arrested from Senegal in South Africa.

Police said that he was wanted in more than 92 criminal cases. In Bengaluru alone, he was involved in more than 39 cases, including double murder of Ravi and Shobana in 2007, an attempt to murder attack on Mantri developers 2009, extortion and other crimes etc. He had committed crimes in various parts of the state including Myusuru, Hubballi, he had involved in extortion, threatening builders, politicians, etc.

"Though Senegal police had nabbed him about six months back to get him to India it took more than six months since there was no agreement to deport criminals from that state to us. However, now all legal hurdles have been removed and we have succeeded in bringing him", a top police official told media.

A team of Bengaluru Police headed by Additional Director General of Police Amar Kumar Pandey, Joint Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil reached Senegal on Saturday and brought him to the city by Air France flight.

Ravi Poojari was wanted in cases of extortion and murder and was active in the Mumbai underworld. He was part of the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's gang and later is said to have worked with 'Chota Rajan' for some time. Claiming to be an enemy of Dawood, Poojari reportedly finished off all his associates and anti-India elements in the country. His men were involved in a shootout on the Shabanam Developers office in Bengaluru in which a woman staffer was killed.

He is also said have been involved in the shootout case of Shahid Azmi, an advocate from Mumbai. There are cases against him in Kerala, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

Udupi, Feb 26: Thirty senior folk artistes, one from each district across the state, and two folk experts will be presented the ''Karnataka Janapada Academy'' Awards for 2019-20.

Announcing the names of the award winners here on Wednesday, Academy Chairperson Manjamma Jogathi said that while the artistes will get a purse of Rs 25,000 and a citation, the folk experts will be awarded Rs 50,000 and a citation.

The awardees are M Gowramma (Folk singing – Bengaluru Urban), Lakshamma (Bengaluru Rural – Bhajan), Ankanahalli Shivanna (Ramnagaram –Pooja Kunitha), Angadi Venkatesheppa (Kolar-Tatvapada), Rangaiah (Thumkuru-Folk Singing), P G Parameshwarappa (Davangere-Veeragase), Tippanna (Chitradurga – Goravara Kunita), Munireddy (Chikkaballapura-Folk Song), G C Manjappa (Shivamogga – Dollu Kunitha), Mada Shetty (Mysore – Kamsale Kunita), Swami Gowda (Beesuva Padagalu – Mandya), Gowramma (Chamarajnagar –Sobane Pada), J K Ramu (Kodagu-Kodavara Kunitha), Kapini Gowda (Hassan – Kolata), Dr H C Eshwarnayaka (Chikkamagalur-Nati Vaidhya), Sadhu Panara (Udupi-Bhootha Kola), Rukmaiah Gowda (Dakshina Kannada – Siddavesha), Sankamma (Belagavi –Sampradaya Pada), Rukmini Mallappa Haranala (Bagalkote-Wedding folk Song), Mallaiah Rachaiah Thotagunte (Dharawad-Folk Song), Hanumanthappa Dharwad (Haveri –Bhajane Kolata), Nagaraj Jakkammanavar (Gadag – Gigi Pada), Nimbevva Kenchappa Gubbi (Vijayapura-Sobane Pada), Hussainabi Budensaab Siddi (Uttarkannada-Siddi Damami Dance), Gangadara Swami Aggi Mata (Kalburgi – Puruvanthike), Tulasi Rama Bhimarao Suthara (Bidar-Folk Song), Shanthavva Ganda Lachamappa Lamani (Koppal – Lamani Dance), Soogappa Nagappa (Raichur – Tatvapada), Veshagara Mothi Ramanna (Ballari-Hagalu Vesha), Shivamoorthy Thanikedara (Yadagir – Gigi Pada).