Actor Mushtaq Khan escapes kidnapping at gunpoint, 2 arrested

Veteran actor Mushtaq Mohammad Khan narrowly escaped a harrowing plot of kidnapping and extortion, raising concerns about the safety of artists across the country. Police have identified the gang involved and arrested two suspects for questioning.

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The gang was extorted ₹2 lakh from Mushtaq’s account (source)

The perpetrators, posing as an event management company, targeted Khan by inviting him to perform at an event honoring senior citizens in Bijnor. On November 20, Khan arrived at Delhi airport, where he was picked up by a taxi. During the journey, the taxi driver switched vehicles and two other men joined, held him at gunpoint and took him to a house in Bijnor’s Chahshiri locality.

Khan was locked up overnight and escaped early the next morning, taking refuge in a local mosque. He contacted his son through a borrowed phone, leading to his rescue by relatives and friends from Delhi and Ghaziabad. During his captivity the gang was extorted ₹2 lakh from his son’s account by forcing him to reveal his bank details.

Khan, known for his roles in ‘Welcome’ and ‘Stree 2’, was left deeply shocked. Although he did not lodge a complaint initially, his events manager Shivam Yadav reported the incident on December 10 after learning that comedian Sunil Pal had also been kidnapped in a similar manner.

The gang’s modus operandi came to light once again when actor-comedian Sunil Pal became their next victim. On December 2, Pal was invited to perform at a Haridwar event, with an advance made to gain his trust. During his journey he was kidnapped, blindfolded and taken to Meerut, where he was held captive.

The gang was extorted ₹8 lakh from Pal’s friends and misused his PAN and Aadhaar details to make valuable purchases, including jewellery. Pal’s wife was released on December 3 and filed a complaint with Mumbai’s Santacruz police station, leading to swift action and the freezing of accounts related to the ransom.

After the incident gained public attention, Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada formed ten teams to investigate the case and detained two suspects for questioning.

“Two suspects are currently in custody and are being interrogated while further investigation is underway,” said Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Vikram Singh.

Sources, however, claim that police took into custody two gang leaders from Bijnor on Tuesday evening but did not announce their arrest as the manhunt for their other aides continues.

Police are also investigating an audio clip that surfaced online, in which Pal allegedly discusses the kidnapping plan with an unknown person, mentioning that his wife was aware of the situation and that the event was discussed in the media.

Tada stated that Pal’s wife Sarita along with her lawyers met police officials on Wednesday and narrated the incident. “Officials have instructed her to go with Sunil Pal, which is essential for the investigation,” he added. The SSP also mentioned that Sarita described the clip as edited.