Manish Gupta Denies Stabbing Allegation, Claims Driver Filed False FIR To 'Extort Money'

News18

2 days ago

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Director Manish Gupta denies stabbing his driver, claims FIR is fake and part of an extortion plot. Cites CCTV footage and payment records in his defense.
Filmmaker and screenwriter Manish Gupta, known for penning the critically acclaimed Sarkar and directing thrillers like Rahasya and Hostel, has issued a detailed statement refuting recent allegations of physical assault made by his former driver, Rajibul Islam Lashkar. The controversy erupted after an FIR was filed at Mumbai's Versova police station, alleging that Gupta stabbed the driver with a kitchen knife over a payment dispute.
Calling the accusations 'completely false and fabricated," Gupta pointed to CCTV footage as his key piece of evidence. 'As you can clearly see in the CCTV footage screenshot, the complainant is holding his right hand over his stomach. But just zoom in — there is no blood. If he was really stabbed, where is the blood?" the filmmaker questioned. He further added that the video shows the driver walking 'casually and in a carefree manner," inconsistent with the behavior of someone allegedly wounded by a knife.
Gupta also responded to claims made in the FIR that he had not paid the driver's salary on time for the past three years. 'That's an absolute lie," he said. 'My bank statements clearly show that I paid him every month on time — in fact, I often paid him in advance. The very first sentence of his statement is a blatant falsehood, which shows malicious intent."
Going a step further, Gupta accused the complainant of orchestrating a staged incident under the guidance of third parties, with the intent to blackmail. 'He inflicted injuries upon himself just to file a false FIR. He's been coached by people who treat fake cases as a business model for extortion," Gupta claimed.
In a dramatic turn, the director also alleged that Rajibul has a prior criminal history, citing past financial fraud involving a bank. He didn't stop there — Gupta named the driver's lawyer as someone with multiple criminal cases, including one for rape. 'This lawyer has even been arrested twice," he added, emphasizing the dubious background of the people involved in the case.
Gupta stated that he has submitted all of his evidence, including his bank records and CCTV stills, in a signed letter to the police.
As of now, there has been no official update from law enforcement on the investigation. Meanwhile, the filmmaker stands firm, maintaining that the entire episode is a 'malicious attempt to extort money" and damage his reputation.
First Published:
June 09, 2025, 21:01 IST