Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt receives death threat, one person arrested
MUMBAI/ LUCKNOW: One person from was arrested on Thursday from Ashiana locality of Lucknow for allegedly threatening to kill Bollywood director-producer Mahesh Bhatt, his wife Soni Razdan and their actor-daughter Alia Bhatt.
The suspect, Sandeep Sahu, 24, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh by the state’s special’s task force (STF) and Mumbai crime branch, police sources have revealed.
Sandeep Sahu had demanded Rs 50 lakh from Mahesh Bhatt and asked the director to deposit the money in a Lucknow-based bank branch, failing which he would pump bullets into Bhatt, his daughter Alia and wife Soni Razdan.
Sahu identified himself as a member of the jailed mafia don Babloo Srivastava's gang.
Sources in Mumbai said UP police are questioning Sandeep Sahu, who was traced by the anti extortion cell of the Mumbai crime branch.
Bhatt was first threatened close to midnight on February 26 through a call on his mobile phone, which he thought was a prank. But, the caller later sent him repeated texts and whatsapp messages and continued to threaten Bhatt. The 'Raaz' and 'Jism' filmmaker then filed a complaint at the Juhu police station on Wednesday.
Juhu Police then registered a case against the unidentified accused under section 387 (causing a person to fear death or grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion) of the Indian Penal Code.
UP STF sources said that they had received a tip-off from the Mumbai police who despatched one of its teams to Lucknow to take custody of Sahu. He would be questioned further in detail about the calls on reaching Mumbai, said the STF sources.
Bhatt on Thursday in a tweet said the threat has been “nipped in the bud” by the police.