Mumbai Police have reportedly busted an alleged extortion plot targeting Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, with a man accused of creating a fake threat operation to frighten the actor and demand money.
According to the police, the accused allegedly created fake identities and fabricated WhatsApp conversations to make it appear that an organized crime gang was threatening Salman. However, the investigation reportedly uncovered several inconsistencies in the messages.
Police also examined CCTV footage, which allegedly did not support the accused’s version of events. During questioning, he reportedly admitted that the threats had been fabricated as part of an attempt to intimidate Salman and extort money from him.
Two mobile phones were reportedly recovered after being allegedly hidden near the Bandra seafront. Police also seized screenshots of the fabricated WhatsApp conversations as part of the investigation.
The investigation further revealed that the accused allegedly received around Rs. 1.30 lakh from Siwan in Bihar through PhonePe. He later reportedly collected the money in cash through a money-transfer agent in Bandra.
The accused has reportedly been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Police are now investigating whether he acted alone or whether other people were involved in the alleged operation.
His security concerns are well known, making the alleged attempt to create a fake gang threat even more calculated.
Police suspect that the accused allegedly tried to exploit those existing fears by making the fabricated threats appear genuine and using them to demand money.
