Filmmaker Manish Gupta denies 'false' accusations of stabbing driver
What's the story
Filmmaker Manish Gupta, known for his work on films like SECTION 375 and Sarkar, has been accused of allegedly stabbing his former driver.
The incident reportedly occurred after a salary dispute at Gupta's office in Andheri (West) on June 5.
However, Gupta has vehemently denied these allegations, calling them "false accusations" and claiming they are part of an "extortion racket."
Statement
'This is an extortion racket,' Gupta on allegations
Speaking to ANI, Gupta said, "Ye bilkul hi jhutha aarop hai (This is a false accusation)... a hundred percent false accusation. There was no fight between that driver and me, Rajebul Lashkar."
He alleged that Lashkar gave a false statement to the police in order to file an FIR against him.
"He did this to put my reputation at risk so that I come under pressure and he can extort more money from me."
Salary dispute
'Accusation is 100% false'
Gupta also denied allegations that he delayed salary payments to his driver.
"This accusation is 100% false. I will show you my bank statement for the past three years. You will see that every month, I have paid him his entire salary on time," he said.
He added, "The first false sentence in his statement, in the FIR, is proof that his entire allegation is false."
Gupta also claimed that the driver has a criminal background.
CCTV footage
Gupta shares CCTV footage of the incident
Gupta shared CCTV footage of the incident with Bombay Times, claiming it shows Lashkar leaving his office without any visible blood stains.
He alleged that Lashkar inflicted a harmless injury on himself to create a false narrative for filing the FIR.
He told the outlet, "The CCTV footage of seconds after the incident clearly shows he is walking very normally, very casually and not at all like a person who has been attacked with a knife as he is claiming."
Legal action
Filmmaker has provided his statement to the police
Gupta has provided his statement to the police and submitted evidence, including the CCTV footage.
He said, "I have given my statement to the police... In a nutshell, this is a false FIR filed with an intention of extorting money."
The Versova Police are still investigating the case.