'Welcome' actor called for award show in UP, kidnapped, then tortured for 12 hours

After comedian Sunil Pal, actor Mushtaq Khan claims that he was kidnapped on the pretext of being invited to an event. A police complaint regarding the same has been filed.

In Short

• Mushtaq Khan said he was kidnapped on the way to an event
• The actor shared that the kidnappers demanded Rs 1 crore as ransom
• A police complaint regarding the same has been filed

After comedian Sunil Pal, actor Mushtaq Khan has also come forward and said that he was recently kidnapped on the pretext of being invited to an event. His business partner Shivam Yadav spoke to India Today Digital and shared the ordeal the actor went through. He stated how Mushtaq was called for an award show in Meerut on November 20.

Shivam shared that Mushtaq was even given an advance amount that was transferred to his account and flight tickets were sent. When the actor landed in Delhi, he was asked to step into a car and was soon driven away to the outskirts of Delhi, said to be somewhere near Bijnor.

Shivam said that the alleged kidnappers tortured Khan for almost 12 hours and demanded a crore as ransom.

They eventually took more than Rs 2 lakh from the actor and his son's account. Early in the morning, when Khan heard the morning azaan, he realised a mosque would be close by and ran away from the place. He sought help from the people there and, with the help of the police, returned home.

"Mushtaq sir and his family were completely shaken over what happened to him. However, he was always sure that he would file an FIR after he composed himself. Yesterday, I went to Bijnor and filed an official FIR. We have proof of the flight ticket, the bank accounts and even CCTV footage near the airport. He also recognises the neighbourhood, even the house where he was kept. I think the police team will surely get the culprits soon," Shivam said.

The incident holds an uncanny resemblance to what happened to comedian Sunil Pal recently. The comedian had told India Today Digital that he was lured to a location under the pretext of attending an event. The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh but released him after he managed to arrange approximately Rs 7.5 lakh with the help of friends.

Similar incidents involving Mushtaq and Sunil make one wonder if a syndicate is operating to harm celebrities and defraud them under the pretext of event invitations.

When asked about the same, Mushtaq's business partner said, "We had no clue about the case. After Mushtaq sir returned, we spoke about the incident with a few of our close friends. When Sunil's case was highlighted in the media, they informed us about the same. It is shocking that two public figures from the industry had to go through a similar ordeal. We hope there is awareness and protection in the future for everyone."

The Stree 2 actor is said to be doing fine as of now and will address the media in a few days.