Faizan Khan, a 42-year-old lawyer from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, has been arrested by Mumbai police in connection with a death threat made against Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The arrest comes after a phone call was traced to Faizan, in which he allegedly demanded INR 5 million (Rs 50 lakh) from the actor, threatening his life. The extortion call, made to Bandra police station in Mumbai in October, prompted authorities to register a case under sections 308(4) and 351(3)(4) of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with extortion and criminal intimidation.
Faizan Khan initially claimed that the phone used for the call had been lost and that he had filed a complaint about the missing device. He suggested that the call might have been part of a conspiracy to frame him. Though he had expressed his willingness to visit Mumbai for questioning, citing threats to his life, he had requested that his statement be recorded virtually. Despite this, he was arrested in Raipur after failing to appear for questioning.
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The case against Faizan Khan has taken a more complex turn, as he has also filed a complaint against Shah Rukh Khan. Faizan alleges that the actor’s portrayal of a character in the 1993 film Anjaam, where Shah Rukh’s character kills and consumes a deer, is offensive to the Bishnoi community, which holds deer sacred. Faizan, who hails from Rajasthan, stated that the Bishnoi community is close to him and that he found the scene highly objectionable. He had previously criticized Shah Rukh Khan in a YouTube video, in which he linked the actor to alleged terror activities, potentially adding to the current controversy surrounding him.
This case follows a similar incident earlier in the year involving Salman Khan. Two members of the notorious Bishnoi gang were arrested for attacking Salman Khan’s home in retaliation for the actor’s involvement in the killing of blackbucks, a species considered sacred by the Bishnoi community. The gang’s leader, Lawrence Bishnoi, has previously issued death threats to Salman Khan.
Mumbai police are continuing their investigation into Faizan Khan’s involvement in the Shah Rukh Khan death threat case and will seek his transit remand to bring him to Mumbai for further questioning.
