'Welcome' actor Mushtaq Khan kidnapped near Meerut, manages to escape
Bijnor (UP) (PTI): Actor Mushtaq Khan, best known for his roles in films like "Welcome" and "Stree 2," was allegedly kidnapped on the pretext of being invited to an event in Meerut, police said on Wednesday. The actor managed to escape after being held captive for a day.
A complaint regarding the incident was filed by the actor's event manager, Shivam Yadav, at the Bijnor Kotwali police station on Tuesday, Bijnor Superintendent of Police Abhishek Kumar Jha said.
According to the complaint, one Rahul Saini contacted Khan on October 15 inviting him to be the chief guest at an event in Meerut and even paid him in advance. Saini also sent Khan a flight ticket for November 20, from Mumbai to Delhi.
Upon arriving at the Delhi airport, Khan was picked up by a car with a driver and two passengers. However, midway through the journey, he was transferred to a Scorpio vehicle, where two additional men joined, Yadav said in the complaint. When Khan protested, he was threatened and informed that he had been kidnapped.
According to the complaint, the kidnappers held Khan captive in the Chahsheeri locality of Bijnor and during this time Rs 2 lakh were transferred from his mobile.
On November 21, Khan managed to escape and made his way back to Mumbai. Details of the case are not known yet.
The kidnappers made several purchases in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar and withdrew cash, amounting to approximately Rs 2 lakh, using Khan's phone, police said.
The Bijnor Police have registered a case against unidentified individuals under Section 364A (kidnapping for ransom) of the Bhartiya Nayaya Sanhita and formed multiple teams to locate the kidnappers and trace the Scorpio vehicle involved. The full details of the incident will be revealed soon, police added.
Just last week, actor-comedian Sunil Pal filed a similar complaint alleging that he was abducted en route to Uttarakhand for a show. The case is being probed by Uttar Pradesh police.
During the ordeal, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh, Pal said, adding that he was released after managing to pay Rs 8 lakh.
He further claimed that he was abandoned by the side of a road in Meerut, from where he made his way to the Delhi airport and boarded a flight to Mumbai.
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Will take legal course if film is stopped: Vivek Agnihotri on release of 'The Bengal Files' in WB
Kolkata, Aug 18 (PTI): Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on Monday said he would go the legal route if the release of his film "The Bengal Files" is stalled in West Bengal.
The trailer launch of the film in Kolkata was disrupted on Saturday. Agnihotri claimed the event was first cancelled by a multiplex and then moved to a hotel where power supply was disrupted and police turned up asking if permission had been taken.
"We will go by the Constitution. We will go legally. If they stop us, we will take the legal course. What can we do? We are common citizens like you... We will pray that sanity prevails and the state government does not do it (stop the release)," the filmmaker said at a press conference here while hitting out at the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal.
"The Bengal Files", which is slated for release on September 5, revolves around the Calcutta riots of August 16, 1946, which were triggered after the All-India Muslim League called for 'Direct Action Day' to demand a separate homeland.
"...This is an Indian film. I am telling you the truth," Agnihotri said.
Known for films such as "The Kashmir Files" and "The Tashkent Files", Agnihotri also addressed the many controversies surrounding his latest release, including an FIR by Gopal Chandra Mukherjee's grandson Santanu Mukherjee.
Gopal Mukherjee is said to have played a pivotal role in the resistance against the Muslim mob violence in 1946. Santanu claims Agnihotri's film refers to his grandfather as a butcher.
Agnihotri said Gopal Mukherjee in his film is an inspired character and not central to the plot.
"I will not go into his history. Watch Santanu's interview. I can give you all the links. There is an interview of Gopal Mukherjee on BBC. In that interview, what he has said, we have only shown that much. I have nothing to do with Gopal Mukherjee's life, politics. He was a hero and I have shown him as a hero," he said.
"I respect Gopal Mukherjee a lot. His grandsons work with TMC. There is a compulsion there... They have done it legally. We are giving a legal answer to that," he said.
Agnihotri claimed the film is his attempt to reveal hidden truths. He said he aims at showing "the untold stories of India".
"Our purpose is very clear. I make films on Hindu civilization. That is why I make films on Hindu history. I do not consider myself capable of making films on Islamic history or Christian history," he said, adding that filmmakers like Mani Ratnam and Vishal Bhardwaj have already made movies on the Islamic history of Kashmir through "Roja" and "Haider".
Agnihotri said the censor board passed "The Bengal Files" without any cuts though it went through the examining committee and then the revising committee.
"This film was made with a lot of responsibility and sincerity. No one can object to this. Bengalis will be proud of this film."
"The Bengal Files" stars Mithun Chakraborty, Saswata Chatterjee, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Darshan Kumar.
