The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has arrested a 30-year-old IT engineer from Bengaluru for allegedly sending threatening and extortion messages to several Bollywood actors, including Ayushmann Khurrana and Tusshar Kapoor. The accused, identified as Vaibhav Mishra, allegedly tried to take advantage of the recent security concerns and firing incidents involving celebrities to make quick money.
According to the police, Mishra was working as an IT engineer in Bengaluru. He allegedly contacted Ayushmann Khurrana and other actors through Instagram, sending them threatening messages. He also reportedly sent an audio clip to Tusshar Kapoor, threatening the actor and demanding ₹5 crore.
A police officer said that after receiving complaints from the actors, the authorities began tracing the sender through his online profile and technical details. Their investigation eventually led them to Mishra, who was taken into custody in Bengaluru.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajtilak Roushan confirmed the arrest. The police are expected to bring the accused to Mumbai after obtaining transit remand from a local court in Bengaluru.
Is the accused linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang?
The police are also investigating whether Mishra has any connection with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. However, officers have indicated that there is currently no evidence suggesting that he is associated with the gang.
According to a police officer, the accused does not appear to have any direct connection with the Bishnoi gang at this stage. However, further interrogation is expected to establish his motive and determine whether anyone else was involved.
The police suspect that Mishra may have attempted to exploit the atmosphere of fear created by recent threats against Bollywood personalities to carry out his alleged extortion plan.
Tusshar Kapoor received a threatening audio clip after Tiger Shroff firing incident
The development comes shortly after the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on October 18. A few days after the incident, Tusshar Kapoor reportedly received an audio message from someone claiming to be Hari Chand Jat, also known as Harry Boxer, who is believed to be a close aide of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Tusshar alerted the police after receiving the threatening audio clip. The recording was subsequently sent for forensic examination to verify the identity of the person behind the voice message.
However, investigators reportedly found that the voice did not match the samples of Harry Boxer available in police records. This raised suspicion that someone else could have been impersonating the gangster’s associate and attempting to take advantage of the situation.
With Mishra’s arrest, the Mumbai Police are now investigating the alleged threats and extortion attempts against the actors. Further details are expected to emerge after his interrogation.
