Latest news with #Rahasya
News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Manish Gupta Denies Stabbing Allegation, Claims Driver Filed False FIR To 'Extort Money'
Last Updated: 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
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Exclusive: Driver's injury is self-inflicted. This is a false FIR, filed to extort money, says Manish Gupta
An FIR was filed at the Versova police station on June 6 against filmmaker-writer . He is known for writing films like Sarkar and SECTION 375, while directing Rahasya, The Stoneman Murders, 420 IPC and One Friday Night. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Gupta was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for allegedly stabbing his driver Mohammed Lashkar with a kitchen knife. According to Versova police, the incident occurred after an argument over the latter's salary at Gupta's Andheri (west) office at 8.30pm on June 5. According to a report in TOI, Lashkar, who served as Gupta's driver for three years until his May 30 termination, said his Rs 23,000 salary remained outstanding. His statement reads: "There has been instances when the film director used to indulge in fight whenever I asked for my salary which was never paid on time. This time he removed me from the job when I asked for my April month's salary which was yet to be paid." Gupta has categorically dismissed the allegations. In an exclusive interview with Bombay Times, he said, 'It's a false FIR, filed with an intent of extorting money, systematically played out under the guidance of a criminal lawyer.' He added, 'We are going to initiate criminal proceedings against Lashkar and put him behind bars. I want to expose these false FIRs racket.' Ahead of narrating the incident, Gupta shared a CCTV footage of the driver leaving the building premises (his back facing the camera) with Bombay Times and documents that reveal his advance salary claim to Lashkar as well as the driver's speeding tickets for rash driving. Gupta explained, 'He has been working for me for three years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On June 5, around 8.30 pm in my office, he started this bawaal to provoke me. It was very illogical. He wanted to quit my job. I had paid him an advance (Rs 41,500), which was much more than his monthly salary. This has been acknowledged by him on paper. I told him, if you're quitting, obviously the advance is going to be deducted from your salary. That didn't go down well with him, and this was his way of extorting money from me. I asked him to drop my car keys and leave. He left in a lift and while exiting the lift, held his hand over his stomach as if he was covering a wound, no blood stain is visible in the CCTV footage. The other footage which captures him walking away, shows how normal he seems while walking away. I am sure he went to his people, inflicted a harmless injury to himself and then went to the cops at 2 am. Why didn't he go to the cops directly? He tried to create this chain of events. When the cops came over to my office the next day to investigate, they also called him, he's walking, holding his stomach, taking the support of some other guy, and he's walking half a step at a time. His actions looked staged. The cops didn't find any kitchen knife because I don't have a kitchen in my office. You just get tea, coffee, biscuits. He needed the money badly for his house and daughter's education and on humanitarian grounds, I gave him the advance, and this is how he repays me.' Gupta concludes, 'I have given my statement to the police. The evidence that I showed you, has also been given to the police. In a nutshell, this is a false FIR, filed with an intention of extorting money. It has been systematically played out under guidance of a criminal lawyer. My lawyer is , and we are going to initiate criminal proceedings against this person. The CCTV footage of seconds after the incident clearly shows he is walking very normally, very casually and not at all like a person who has been attacked with a knife as he is claiming. It is very clear evidence of his lying, and he has inflicted this injury later on himself in order to build some sort of circumstance to file a false FIR. I want to expose this false FIRs racket. '
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Filmmaker Manish Gupta Booked For Stabbing Driver Over Salary Dispute: Report
Mumbai police filed an FIR against filmmaker Manish Gupta after his driver Mohammad Lashkar accused him of stabbing him during an argument over pending salary on June 5. Mumbai police have filed an FIR against filmmaker Manish Gupta after his driver accused him of stabbing him during an argument over pending salary. The incident reportedly took place on the evening of June 5 at Gupta's residence in the Sagar Sanjog building, located in Versova. The police registered the case the next day, on June 6. The complainant, 38-year-old Mohammad Lashkar, had been working as Gupta's driver for the past three years, drawing a monthly salary of ₹23,000. According to the FIR, Lashkar often received his salary late. In May, his salary was not paid at all, and on May 30, he was fired from the job. On June 3, Lashkar called Gupta and asked for the pending amount. Gupta allegedly told him that he would be paid only if he returned to work. Believing this, Lashkar resumed work on June 4. However, he still did not receive his salary. The situation turned violent the next day. Around 8:30 p.m. on June 5, while both were at Gupta's Versova office, Lashkar once again asked about his pending salary. This reportedly angered Gupta, who began shouting at him. He then allegedly took a kitchen knife and stabbed Lashkar on the right side of his torso. Despite being injured, Lashkar managed to leave the office and called out for help. A nearby driver and the building's watchman came to his aid. Lashkar then took an auto-rickshaw to Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle West, where he received treatment. Once his condition stabilised, Lashkar went to the Versova police station and filed a complaint. Based on his statement, Manish Gupta was booked under sections 118(2), 115(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These include charges of causing grievous hurt using a dangerous weapon and using insulting words likely to cause a breach of peace. So far, no arrest has been made. The investigation is ongoing. Manish Gupta is known for directing films such as Rahasya and The Stoneman Murders. As of now, he has not made any public statement about the incident. (With inputs from PTI) Location : Mumbai, India, India First Published: June 07, 2025, 08:59 IST
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Filmmaker Manish Gupta allegedly booked for stabbing driver over salary dispute; His lawyer says all allegations are false, while the investigation is underway
Filmmaker , who is known for his work in movies like 'Section 375,' 'Rahasya,' and '420 IPC,' has allegedly been booked for stabbing his driver with a knife under Section 118 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to a PTI report. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The complaint against him has been filed at the Versova Police Station by the driver, following which the investigation has been initiated. Reportedly, the incident took place earlier this morning, following a dispute over the driver's salary. The injured driver, Rajibul Lashkar (38), is undergoing treatment currently for his injuries. A mid-day report states that the Versova police have confirmed the incident and are currently probing to know the truth. "When they contacted the filmmaker regarding the matter, he termed all the allegations as false and fabricated and stated that he is willing to cooperate with the investigation. The police are checking CCTV footage to verify the facts,' said an officer from Versova Police Station, as reported by mid-day. Reportedly, when attempts were made to reach out to Manish Gupta, he directed the reporter to speak with his lawyer, Dinesh Tiwari, who said all claims against the filmmaker have no ground and are just a scheme to make money. He said, 'The allegation against my client Mr. Manish Gupta, is baseless and false, and is nothing but an attempt to extort money from my client. The complainant Mr. Rabijul has a past criminal record, he has previously defrauded a bank and has a criminal case pending against him. The complainant Mr. Rabijul, guided by many of his relatives/friends, has fabricated the entire issue as a pressure tactic to extort money from my client. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We are about to initiate criminal proceedings against the complainant Mr. Rabijul, for giving false information to a public servant and for registering a fake FI.R' Meanwhile, Advocate Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh, who is representing the driver, reportedly has demanded an immediate arrest in the matter.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From code to camera: Kunal Sharma's unconventional journey into films
Kunal Sharma Actor-director Kunal Sharma didn't take the traditional route into the world of cinema. A BTech graduate in Computer Science, his career began in the predictable world of IT, which initially brought him to Mumbai. But the city had other plans. 'Working in an IT firm left me feeling creatively stifled,' he recalls, adding 'Attending an international film festival in Mumbai changed everything. It opened my eyes to the power of cinema and made me realise this is what I wanted to do with my life.' That moment sparked a deep commitment to learning the craft. Inspired by the works of Kim Ki-duk, Giuseppe Tornatore, and Guru Dutt, Kunal began exploring all facets of filmmaking — from acting and editing to direction. With no formal background in the arts, he knew the journey would require serious dedication. His first big break came behind the scenes while assisting director Manish Gupta on Rahasya. He recalls, 'During pre-production, I was auditioning actors for a key role. But none of the candidates clicked. One day, Manish sir asked me to audition for the part. I was caught off guard but gave it everything I had. A few weeks later, he offered me the role.' Kunal in Rahasya That unexpected opportunity became Kunal's acting debut, placing him alongside respected talents like Kay Kay Menon, Ashish Vidyarthi, Tisca Chopra, and Mita Vashisht. He says, 'Watching them work up close was an education in itself. Their craft, discipline, and presence on set shaped my understanding of acting more than any formal training could have.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Since then, Kunal has steadily built his acting credentials, appearing in films and shows including The Legend of Michael Mishra, The Ghazi Attack , Saas Bahu And Flamingo, Kanguva and Plan B. He will soon be seen in Maqam , an MMA-based sports drama that he describes as a significant next step in his acting journey. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
