Bollywood actor Tusshar Kapoor has received a death threat along with an extortion demand of Rs 5 crore, according to Indian media reports. The caller, who identified himself as "Harry Boxer" and claimed to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, is said to have issued the threat over the phone. Although the alleged demand is serious in nature, a preliminary police investigation has cast doubt on its authenticity, suggesting that someone may have misused the gang's name to intimidate the actor. The case is currently under investigation.

The threat call and the Rs 5 crore demand

Reports carried by Indian media outlets, including RatoPati and Khabarhub, state that the threat to Kapoor arrived in the form of a phone call. The person on the other end introduced himself as "Harry Boxer" and claimed to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a name that has figured repeatedly in Indian crime reporting in recent years.

The caller demanded Rs 5 crore in Indian rupees and coupled the demand with a threat against the actor's life. Extortion calls of this nature combine an explicit threat with a demand for money, placing the recipient under pressure to comply.

The key details that have emerged so far are:

  • Target: Tusshar Kapoor, a Bollywood actor
  • Nature of the incident: A death threat accompanied by an extortion demand
  • Amount demanded: Rs 5 crore (Indian rupees)
  • Medium: The threat was made over the phone
  • Claimed caller identity: "Harry Boxer", said to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang
  • Police assessment: Preliminary findings suggest the threat may not be genuine
  • Status: The case is being investigated

The reports did not disclose details such as the exact date and time of the call, the number from which it was made, or whether any arrest has been made in connection with the case so far.

Police suspect the gang's name was misused

Despite the alarming content of the call, the initial police assessment points away from the claims made by the caller. According to the preliminary investigation, the threat may not be genuine, and investigators suspect that the person behind it may have misused the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Invoking the name of a feared criminal outfit is a tactic often used to lend weight to extortion demands and to frighten the target into paying quickly. Establishing whether "Harry Boxer" has any real connection to the gang, and whether the call originated from anyone with genuine links to organised crime, is expected to be central to the probe.

Police have not announced any arrest, and the identity of the person who made the call remains unverified. The reports indicate only that the case is being investigated, leaving several questions unanswered, including who made the call and with what intention.

A gang name that has surfaced in celebrity threat cases before

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang takes its name from Lawrence Bishnoi, an incarcerated gangster in India whose outfit has been linked in media reports to a series of criminal cases. The gang's name has surfaced repeatedly in Indian media over the past few years, including in connection with alleged threats and extortion demands directed at personalities from the Hindi film industry.

For public figures, such calls are treated seriously by law enforcement regardless of whether they turn out to be credible, given the broader environment of extortion attempts targeting people in the entertainment world.

Tusshar Kapoor, the son of veteran actor Jeetendra, is a familiar face in Hindi cinema and is best known for his comic roles, including in the popular Golmaal films. The reported threat against him comes as the latest in a string of cases in which Indian celebrities have been targeted with threats or demands for money.

Investigation continues

The case remains under investigation, and authorities are working to establish the origin and authenticity of the call. If the threat is found to be fake, the episode would still amount to the misuse of a criminal gang's name to extort money, as extortion and criminal intimidation are punishable offences under Indian law.

If, on the other hand, the caller is found to have genuine links to the gang, the case would take on a more serious dimension for both the actor and the investigating authorities.

Further details, including any statement from the actor or his representatives, have not been disclosed in the reports published so far. More information is expected once the police complete their verification of the caller's claimed identity and the origins of the threat.