Junior actor charges film producer with extortion

HYDERABAD: A small-time actor, Sunder, who is also said to be a stuntman, has lodged a complaint with the CB-CID against Telugu film producer Natti Kumar alleging that the latter had tried to extort Rs 1 crore from him in the name of gangster Bhanu.
On Monday, Sunder approached CID DIG BL Sujatha Rao saying that the film producer had threatened him using Bhanu's name when asked to repay a loan of Rs 1 crore he had given him.Sunder told cops that he can produce promissory notes and post-dated cheques issued by Kumar as documentary evidence to support his allegation.
However, with additional DG CID chief SV Ramana Murthy on leave, the investigating officers asked Sunder to come back on Tuesday with the supporting documents.
This development takes place against the backdrop of Kumar crying foul over another producer, C Kalyan's, alleged links with Bhanu, with the former even giving evidence to CB-CID to back his allegations.
Kumar was on Monday questioned by CB-CID after having appeared in person before the agency last Saturday.
When asked about Sunder's complaint, Kumar told TOI that the allegations lacked substance. He said that Sunder was himself acting at the behest of Kalyan and even charged that Sunder, accompanied by 10 others, had on April 19 visited his office and threatened to eliminate him.
Kumar said that the present issue was the fallout of a financial dispute with one Manivarnan, who is involved in liquor business. "Sunder came to my office and demanded Rs 1 crore for settling the dispute. I told him that I would handle my own financial issues and that his interference was not needed. When they threatened me, I approached the SR Nagar police and registered a complaint against Sunder," Kumar said. Kumar, however, alleged that the police did not act on his complaint.