Mumbai police detain lawyer who threatened Shah Rukh Khan

The accused lawyer had filed a case against Shahrukh, alleging the actor incited religious tensions.

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Faizan Khan, a 42-year-old lawyer from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, has been arrested by Mumbai police in connection with the death threat issued to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The arrest comes after the police traced a threatening phone call made to Bandra police station, where Faizan Khan allegedly demanded INR 5 million (Rs 50 lakh) from the actor.

The call, made in October, prompted the Mumbai police to register an extortion case under sections 308(4) (extortion involving threats of death or serious injury) and 351(3)(4) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Fazian Khan was detained at his residence in Raipur after failing to appear for questioning in Mumbai.

Initially, Faizan Khan claimed that the mobile phone used for the threat had been lost on November 2, and he filed a complaint with local authorities about the missing phone. Faizan has alleged that the threat call made from his number might have been part of a conspiracy to frame him.

Faizan had earlier expressed his willingness to visit Mumbai on November 14 to record his statement, but due to receiving numerous threats in recent days, he requested that the statement be taken virtually. Faizan also wrote to Mumbai Police Commissioner requesting safety during the questioning.

Faizan Khan has also filed a case against Shah Rukh Khan at Bandra police station, accusing the actor of inciting communal enmity. Faizan Khan referred to the actor’s 1993 film Anjaam, in which Shah Rukh’s character kills and consumes a deer, an act that Faizan claimed was offensive to the Bishnoi community, which reveres deer as part of its religious tradition.

"I hail from Rajasthan. The Bishnoi community is my friend. It is in their religion to protect deer. So, if a Muslim says something like this about deer, it is condemnable. Therefore, I raised an objection," Faizan told reporters.

Faizan also suggested that his public criticism of Shah Rukh Khan, including a YouTube video in which he linked the actor to alleged terror activities, might have contributed to the current situation.

The arrest of Faizan Khan follows a similar controversy earlier this year involving Bollywood actor Salman Khan. Two members of a notorious criminal gang, the Bishnoi gang, were arrested for firing at Salman Khan’s home in retaliation for the actor’s involvement in the killing of two blackbucks, a sacred species for the Bishnoi community. The gang’s jailed leader, Lawrence Bishnoi, has previously threatened Salman Khan with assassination over the incident.

The Mumbai police are continuing their investigation into Faizan Khan’s alleged involvement in the threat case and will seek his transit remand to bring him to Mumbai for further questioning.