A death threat against Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has been traced to a phone reportedly belonging to a Raipur-based lawyer, Mumbai police said on Thursday. Faizan Khan, however, claimed his phone had been stolen three days before the threat call was made and that he had filed a first information report (FIR) with the Raipur police regarding the lost device.
According to Mumbai Police, the threat call came in on Tuesday through the Bandra Police station’s landline. The caller demanded ₹50 lakh from the actor and warned of fatal consequences if the amount wasn’t paid.
Subsequently, the call was traced to Raipur, leading a Mumbai Police team to travel there for further investigation. Authorities are now working with Raipur police to track down the actual caller as they examine the circumstances around the reported theft of the lawyer’s phone.
“My phone was stolen on November 2, and I lodged a complaint. I told Mumbai police about it. They interrogated me for about two hours,” Faizan Khan said.
The lawyer had earlier complained to Mumbai Police against Shah Rukh Khan over a dialogue in his movie Anjaam (1994) that referred to deer hunting.
“I hail from Rajasthan. The Bishnoi community (which is from Rajasthan) is my friend. It is in their religion to protect deer. So, if a Muslim says something like this about deer, it is condemnable. Therefore, I raised an objection,” Faizan Khan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“Whoever has made a call from my phone, it seems intentional. I think it is a conspiracy against me,” he added.
The threat to Shah Rukh Khan comes after similar threats were made against actor Salman Khan, who has been under enhanced protection since March after receiving death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The actor’s security detail has been increased with Y-plus security coverage, including armed personnel stationed at his home round the clock.
