Like many others dreaming of making it big in Hindi cinema, a 23-year-old Australia-born Indian came to Mumbai four years ago to try her luck in tinsel town.
Like many others dreaming to make it big in Bollywood, a 23-year-old Australian-born Indian came to Mumbai four years ago to try her luck in tinsel town. But the aspiring actor got cheated by a man, who allegedly forced her to sell her property in Australia to give him Rs25 lakh.
The Crime Branch recently arrested two people for allegedly cheating people looking for a break in the film industry. The duo has been identified as Zuber alias Salim Ibrahim Khan and Haseen Younus Aghadi.
According to an officer from the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), the complainant Kanwaljeet Kaur came to India in 2006 because her daughter Ilisha wanted to work in Indian film. Ilisha also did an acting course from actor Anupam Kher’s institute in Mumbai.
“She started to meet several film producers in search of roles. She also used to visit several Bollywood parties. In December 2007, she met Khan at one such party. He claimed that he knew Sajid Nadiadwala and many other Bollywood producers,” said a police official.
The victim was in regular touch with Khan and also visited her home in January 2008. “Khan initially demanded Rs50 lakh from the victim to get her roles in films. However, she didn’t pay him,” the officer said.
On March 8, 2008, one of Khan’s friend called Ilisha and told her that he was admitted in a suburban hospital. When the victim went to meet him, Khan introduced her to Aghadi. He said that Aghadi owned several movie theatres in the city, the police said.
On March 16, 2008, when Ilisha again went to visit Khan at the hospital, he emotionally blackmailed her by telling her that he had suffered huge losses in business and needed financial help. “A few days later, Ilisha sold one of her properties in Australia and gave a demand draft of Rs25 lakh to Khan’s friend Premkumar Saxena,” the officer said.
However, after receiving the money, the trio did not contact the victim for a long time. “Suspecting foul play, she went to meet Khan at the hospital. On not finding him there, she questioned the hospital authorities. She then learnt that he was staying there under a fake name,” the officer said.
“She later contacted Saxena, who allegedly threatened to kill her if she complained to the police,” he added.
Finally, Ilisha and her mother filed a complaint, following which the police arrested Khan and Aghadi. The duo was produced before a local court and remanded in police custody till July 31. “We are now on the lookout for Saxena,” the official said.
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