New Delhi: Actor Mushtaq Khan, who played the role of an MLA in the recent Bollywood blockbuster movie ‘Stree 2’, experienced a harrowing ordeal after being kidnapped from the Delhi-Meerut highway last month.
The veteran actor, who has featured in other hit films like ‘Welcome’, ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, ‘Jodi No 1’ etc., was allegedly lured under the pretext of attending an award show in Meerut on November 20. He was paid an advance and also sent flight tickets.
Not long after, Mushtaq discovered he was in trouble.
Primarily a comedian who is a popular name in television also, Mushtaq was held captive and tortured for 12 hours, according to the actor’s business partner.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore to release the actor. He was finally released but not before got Rs 2 lakh was transferred from Mushtaq and his son’s accounts.
The actor managed to run away after hearing the morning azaan, believing a mosque would be nearby.
Mushtaq’s business partner Shivam Yadav told India Today Digital how the actor was tricked into boarding a car that would take him far from Delhi.
“Mushtaq sir and his family were completely shaken over what happened to him. However, he was always sure that he would file an FIR after he composed himself. Yesterday, I went to Bijnor and filed an official case. We have proof of the flight ticket, the bank accounts, and even CCTV footage near the airport. He also recognises the neighbourhood and the house where he was kept. I think the police team will surely catch the culprits soon,” Shivam said.
He further revealed that they had no clue about the case, which has a remarkable similarity with incidents involving comedian Sunil Pal about a week ago.
“After Mushtaq sir returned, we spoke about the incident with a few of our close friends. When Sunil’s case was highlighted in the media, they informed us about the same. It is shocking that two public figures from the industry had to go through a similar ordeal. We hope there is awareness and protection in the future for everyone,” Shivam said.
Pal was also lured to attend an event, before being kidnapped.
Questions have been raised about the possibility of a syndicate targeting celebrities under the guise of event invitations to extort money.
