Mumbai police have arrested a Bengaluru-based IT engineer for allegedly targeting Bollywood actors Ayushmann Khurrana, Tusshar Kapoor and others with threatening messages and extortion demands.
The accused, identified as 30-year-old Vaibhav Mishra, allegedly tried to exploit the growing anxiety in the film industry following a series of threats and firing incidents linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Hindustan Times reports.
According to police, Mishra sent threatening messages to Khurrana and several other actors through Instagram. He also allegedly sent an audio recording to Tusshar Kapoor, demanding ₹5 crore.
Police traced the sender through his online profile and technical information after the actors reported the threats.
“After the information was reported by the actors, we started tracing the sender through his online profile and using technical details, we succeeded in reaching him. We have just taken him into custody,” a police officer said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajtilak Roushan confirmed the arrest. He said investigators would bring Mishra to Mumbai after obtaining transit remand from a court in Bengaluru.
Police have not established any connection between the accused and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. An officer said the investigation had yet to determine whether Mishra had any links to the criminal network.
“As of now, it does not appear that the IT engineer is linked to the Bishnoi gang in any manner, but we are yet to interrogate him and ascertain that,” the officer said.
The threats emerged amid heightened concern over the safety of Bollywood personalities following a shooting incident near actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on 18 October.
A few days after the incident, Tusshar received an audio message allegedly from Hari Chand Jat, also known as Harry Boxer, a close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The caller demanded ₹5 crore and threatened the actor.
Tusshar alerted the police, who sent the recording for forensic examination. Investigators found that the voice did not match the samples of Harry Boxer available in their records, raising suspicions that someone had impersonated the alleged gangster to extort money.
Police now suspect Mishra may have used the atmosphere of fear surrounding the gang’s alleged activities to intimidate celebrities and seek quick financial gains.
