Chargesheet against 10 in Bollywoodactor Mushtaq Khan kidnapping case

Bijnor: A chargesheet was filed in UP's Bijnor court on Thursday against 10 accused for allegedly kidnapping Bollywood actor-comedian Mushtaq Khan.In the chargesheet, police have named Lavi, Sarthak, Shashank and Arjun as the "main accused". It mentioned the accused made at least 22 online transactions from Mushtaq's mobile. Police have also listed 15 witnesses in the case. In addition, jewellery purchased -- using the victim's mobile -- has been produced in court.SHO of Bijnor city, Uday Pratap Singh, said on Friday that a chargesheet was filed against the 10 accused. "All were arrested and sent to jail and they remain under judicial custody," the SHO added.Notably, the gang used fake event invitations to lure actors gaining their trust with advance payments and air tickets. Comedian Sunil Pal and Mushtaq Khan were their victims.The gang had 10 members with Sarthak Chaudhary, Sabiuddin alias Shabby, Ajeem and Shashank Kumar arrested earlier. Another member, Arjun Karnwal, was apprehended separately by Meerut police.The gang's modus operandi involved offering fake event invitations to actors. They often paid advance money to ensure compliance and relied on the actors' fear of defamation to prevent complaints. Police added that Chaudhary disclosed that Lavi, who had "connections with several Mumbai actors, masterminded the operations".The gang's activities escalated with the abduction of Pal and Khan, known for his roles in films like ‘Gadar 2' and ‘Welcome'. On Nov 20, 2024, they travelled to Delhi in rented cars, lured Mushtaq under the guise of an event, and transported him to a flat in Bijnor. The next day, Rs 2.2 lakh was withdrawn from his accounts from various locations, including a cyber café and multiple shops.Mushtaq's event manager filed a complaint, leading to the investigation. The gang allegedly targeted several other actors, including Shakti Kapoor and Rajesh Puri.Kapoor narrowly escaped "abduction" as he demanded a higher advance payment, causing negotiations to collapse. Puri, meanwhile, was saved when he shared a selfie with the gang, alerting an acquaintance.Sunil Pal was also allegedly kidnapped in a similar manner by the same gang, and that case is being handled by Meerut police. Cops have recovered the vehicle used in the incident and deployed teams in Prayagraj, Delhi and Uttarakhand to locate the absconding suspects.