New Delhi: Mumbai police have arrested a man from West Bengal for making extortion calls demanding Rs 1 crore from comedian Kapil Sharma. The accused, Dilip Choudhary, allegedly issued threats in the name of notorious gangsters Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar. Between September 22 and 23, Kapil Sharma received approximately seven threatening phone calls and videos from Choudhary, according to officials. Dive in for more details.
Kapil Sharma received extortion calls
The Mumbai Crime Branch apprehended Dilip Choudhary, who is now in police custody until September 30, as reported by HT. Authorities are investigating whether he had any direct connections with the gangsters or was merely using their names to intimidate and extort money from the comedian.
In a related development, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has issued a warning to Kapil Sharma’s comedy show “The Great Indian Kapil Show.” The caution came after a celebrity guest on the show referred to Mumbai by its former name, “Bombay.”
MNS film wing head Ameya Khopkar took to social media to emphasise that Bombay was officially renamed Mumbai over 30 years ago, with recognition by the Maharashtra government in 1995 and the Central government in 1996. Khopkar urged celebrities, politicians, and anchors to respect the city’s official name while noting the frequent use of the old name in Bollywood, politics, and media.
Ameya Khopkar wrote, “Even though 30 years have passed since Bombay was officially renamed Mumbai, the term Bombay is still frequently used in Bollywood’s Kapil Sharma Show celebrity guests, Delhi-based Rajya Sabha MPs, show anchors, and in many Hindi films. It was officially recognised by the Maharashtra Government in 1995 and by the Central Government in 1996, even before Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Therefore, a humble request-cum-warning is being issued to respect this and use the name Mumbai.”
The police continue the probe into the extortion case while the MNS reminder underlines the sensitivity around Mumbai’s city identity, blending issues of crime and cultural respect in current affairs. This case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by public figures like Kapil Sharma in dealing with criminal intimidation and the importance of upholding regional pride and identity in popular media