5 celebrities received extortion calls amid Rohit Shetty's house shooting
What's the story
The recent shooting outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty's bungalow has brought to light that at least five Bollywood celebrities have received extortion calls from associates of fugitive gangster Shubham Lonkar, according to The Times of India. Despite these threats, none of the celebrities have filed a formal complaint, making it difficult for investigators to take action. The motive behind the attack on Shetty's residence remains unclear, leading authorities to believe it was intended as a warning to the film industry.
Investigation hurdles
'Expect action without sharing details...difficult for police...'
A police official told TOI, "What baffles us is that despite intelligence inputs suggesting multiple threat calls, no one has come forward to record a statement or file a complaint." They added, "If people expect police to act suo motu (on its own) while withholding facts, it becomes extremely difficult."
Discrepancy
Shetty denied receiving threat/extortion calls
Notably, Shetty has denied receiving any extortion or threat calls. This stands in contrast to a social media post allegedly shared by Lonkar, in which he claimed responsibility for the shooting and asserted that Shetty had been warned multiple times beforehand. In the post, written in both Hindi and English, Lonkar and his alleged associates took responsibility for the firing outside Shetty's house. The post also issued a broader warning to the entire Bollywood industry to "mend its ways."
Ongoing investigation
Police verifying Lonkar's social media post
The police are currently verifying the authenticity of Lonkar's social media post and its connection to the shooting incident. Officials said the message's language and tone appear designed to spread fear and project dominance, a tactic the Bishnoi gang has employed in similar cases in the past. Multiple police teams have been dispatched across the country to track down the shooter involved in this incident.