Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana received a threatening audio message from a man claiming to be associated with the dreaded Lawrence Bishnoi gang, with the sender demanding crores of rupees, Mumbai Police sources said on Wednesday. Police are trying to verify the sender's identity, sources added. They said investigators were analysing the voice in the audio clip against the sample of the supposed sender, whose name is already in police records.
The development surfaced a day after it was widely reported that actor Tusshar Kapoor received an extortion call, which was eventually ruled as a probable hoax by the police. However, the police were trying to ascertain whether the messages received by the two actors could be connected. They are also working to identify the gang or individuals behind the messages and establish whether they are genuine threats or ill-intended attempts to spread fear among Bollywood personalities.
The purported threat messages have raised particular concern following last month’s firing incident targeting actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai. The alleged threat message received by Khurrana comes as his spy comedy, Udta Teer, continues its theatrical run. The film collected Rs 19.45 crore nett at the Indian box office during its opening weekend. Besides Khurrana, the film also stars Sara Ali Khan in a lead role.