The Mumbai Police have arrested a lawyer from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, for allegedly making a death threat to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The Bandra police station received the threatening call last week, demanding a ransom of ₹50 lakh. Following an investigation, police identified the suspect as Faizan Khan, a lawyer residing within the jurisdiction of the Pandri police station in Raipur.
Mumbai Police filed a case against the caller under sections 308(4) and 351(3)(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which address extortion involving threats of death or serious injury and criminal intimidation. Officers from Mumbai traveled to Raipur and summoned Khan for questioning, but he failed to appear. He was subsequently arrested.
Faizan Khan’s Defense: Claims of Conspiracy
Speaking to the media, Khan alleged that the call was part of a conspiracy against him, claiming his phone had been stolen prior to the threat. “My phone was stolen on November 2, and I lodged a complaint at the Khamardih police station. I informed the Mumbai Police of this and was interrogated for about two hours,” Khan explained.
Khan, who reportedly lodged a separate complaint against Shah Rukh Khan over a dialogue in the actor’s 1994 film Anjaam, also linked his objection to the Bishnoi community’s religious duty to protect deer. Khan, who has ties to the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan, expressed that he found the reference offensive, as it disrespected their belief system.
“I think whoever made the call from my phone did so intentionally. It seems like a conspiracy against me,” Khan told reporters.