SRK faces no threat, say cops

JCP (Crime) Maria says the actor has flatly denied media reports of extortion call

The Crime Branch of the Mumbai police strongly denied newspaper reports on Wednesday that Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan had received extortion calls from a splinter criminal gang.

“We are upset with the rumour-mongering by a section of the print and television media,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria, adding that, “We are seeking legal advice to proceed against such elements, who are trying to create a fear psychosis among law-abiding citizens.”

Maria told DNA that when he spoke to the actor on Wednesday, the latter flatly denied having received any extortion call from anyone called Bunty Pande. He also denied having  spoken to any journalist.

“Such baseless and sensational reports create fear in the city and waste our precious time in trying to get at the truth,” he said.

Explaining the sense of panic in the film industry following publication of the report, a prominent producer, who did not want to be identified, said, “There are crores of rupees riding on actors like SRK. Whenever such news reports appear, the producers and  workers get jittery.”

The producer said the film industry was just beginning to feel that the lull in gangland activity would last, “but today’s newspaper report shocked us.”

In the recent past, gangsters like Ravi Pujari and Hemant Pujari did threaten some people, including Mahesh Bhatt,  but there were no serious extortion threats from major gangs.

“Smalltime gangsters sometimes play pranks just to remain in the limelight and gullible film personalities fall prey to their  designs,” said another senior police official.