Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch has arrested a 30-year-old IT engineer from Bengaluru on charges of making threatening calls and extorting money from various Bollywood actors, among them being Ayushmann Khurrana and Tusshar Kapoor. The accused man is Vaibhav Mishra who is believed to have made use of the fear created by the latest threats and shooting incidents faced by the celebrities in order to make money quickly by associating the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
As per the police, Mishra made threatening messages to Ayushmann and other actors through Instagram. He has allegedly sent an audio threat message to Tusshar Kapoor, asking for Rs 5 crore in return. While the police suspect that the accused was using the gang’s fame in order to terrorize the celebrities, they have found no connection between the two yet. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajtilak Roushan has confirmed the arrest of the accused.
Who Is Vaibhav Mishra, The Man Arrested For Threatening Bollywood Actors?
Vaibhav Mishra, 30, worked as an IT engineer in Bengaluru. Police traced him through his online profile and technical details after receiving information about the threatening messages from the actors. A police officer said investigators began tracking the sender after the complaints were reported. The officer added that the team had succeeded in identifying and taking him into custody.
The investigation is expected to establish how many actors received messages from Mishra, what exactly he demanded and whether anyone else was involved. Police have also cautioned against assuming that the accused was operating on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. A senior officer said that, at this stage, investigators did not believe Mishra had any connection with the gang, but they were yet to interrogate him fully and establish the motive.
Why Did Tusshar Kapoor Receive A Rs 5 Crore Extortion Threat?
The arrest follows an earlier threat received by Tusshar Kapoor. The actor’s team reportedly received an audio message from a person claiming to be Hari Chand Jat, also known as Harry Boxer, an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The sender allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore and issued threats to intimidate the actor. Tusshar alerted the Mumbai Police, after which the Crime Branch examined the recording and compared the voice with samples of Harry Boxer available in its records.
The preliminary analysis found that the voice did not match the available samples. Investigators consequently suspected that someone else may have been impersonating the gang member to extort money. The latest arrest has added a significant development to that investigation, with police identifying Mishra as the alleged sender of threats to multiple actors. His exact role in the Tusshar case and the messages sent to other celebrities will be clearer after interrogation.
Did The Threats Have Any Link To The Tiger Shroff Firing Incident?
These threats emerged at a time when there was already great concern in the Bollywood industry following the firing at the car of Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu region on October 18. This led to a greater investigation of threats as well as intimidation made against film personalities. Lawrence Bishnoi gang members were also mentioned in relation to this case.
As per the police report, Mishra could have attempted to take advantage of the situation generated by these cases and use the name of the gang to increase the credibility of his threats. But it is yet to be found out whether there is any link between them and the gang. The police will now attempt to interview the accused regarding the messages and other issues. Until then, there is no evidence to suggest that these threats are genuine operations carried out by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.