In the wildest turn of events, actor Mushtaq Khan, a.k.a ‘Ballu’ from Welcome (2007), has claimed that he was invited to attend an event in Meerut and was allegedly kidnapped. The Stree-2 actor was apparently paid an advance amount to attend an event, and the kidnapper even booked his flight tickets. But instead of an award show, Mushtaq Khan found himself at the center of a terrifying, well-planned kidnapping case.
The 54-year-old actor received a call from Rahul Saini who invited him to an award show, happening in Meerut. Promising to pay him for attending the event, he also paid an advance amount of ₹25,000, along with the flight tickets from Mumbai to Delhi. After the actor landed in Delhi, he boarded a cab sent by Rahul Saini, which already had two men in it waiting for Khan. Unaware of the intentions, Mushtaq Khan was asked to switch cars with the same driver, but this time, two more people boarded the car. Things went for worse when one of the men put a sheet over his head and asked him to keep his head down. Driving away, they took the actor to a house where the kidnapper tortured him for almost 12 hours and demanded a ransom of ₹1 crore.
However, they took a total of ₹2 lakh from the actor and his son’s account. Early in the morning, the actor heard azaan, believing a mosque would be close by. The kidnappers, meanwhile, were passed out after drinking alcohol, which allowed him to escape the house and contact local people around who helped him get in touch with his family.
Shivam Yadav, Mushtaq’s business partner filed an FIR and shared the traumatic experience that the actor had to go through. In a conversation with India Today Digital, he shared, “Mushtaq sir and his family were completely shaken over what happened with 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 neigbhourhood, even the house where he was kept. I think the police team will surely get the culprits soon.”
Well, what’s even more surprising is this incident has a suspected and uncanny resemblance with the kidnapping case of Sunil Pal. The Phir Hera Pheri and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge fame actor and comedian claimed that he was also kidnapped recently in a similar manner as Mushtaq was. The actor was invited to perform a comedy set at a birthday party in Haridwar and was duped. The kidnappers demanded ₹20 lakhs, however after negotiations, they settled at ₹8 lakhs but left Sunil scared for a lifetime.
In a conversation with Hindustan Times, the comedian said, “They paid 50 percent in advance. They sent a car for pick up at the airport. I was shifted to another vehicle after one hour. That was the point when my nightmare started. I was told that they had kidnapped me, blindfolded me, and taken me to a place. They said they had weapons, stressing that my life was in danger. There were 7-8 people, some drunk, shouting at me.” He continued sharing the details, “I told them that I didn’t have that amount of money, following which they agreed to ₹10 lakh. I called up many friends in Mumbai to collect the money and gave them ₹7.5-8 lakh for my freedom.”
The police are currently conducting investigations and have made some progress in both cases.