NDTV Correspondent

Thursday, August 8, 2002 (Mumbai):


Film financier and diamond merchant Bharat Shah arrested last year for his links with the underworld now claims he has been threatened over the last few days by gangster Abu Salem and others.

Though Shah has asked the Mumbai police for protection, the police are yet to respond.

The Maharashtra government is still to decide on whether to give film financier Bharat Shah police protection after he claimed that he was getting threatening calls from the Abu Salem, Guru Satam and Hemant Pujari gangs.

Bharat Shah who was arrested in January 2001 for his alleged links to the underworld and booked under the MCOC Act was released on bail earlier this year.

"We are looking into the matter. The High Court has laid down some conditions about offering protection to the accused so we need to consider all this," said Deputy Chief minister Chaggan Bhujbal.

Shah claims that the extortion threats are linked to the success of the blockbuster Devdas. Even his sons he says are being threatened to hand over the overseas rights of the film.

Whether the police gives Bharat Shah protection or not, one thing is clear, the underworld still plays a very active role in Bollywood, even if the police claim to have the situation under control.

FLASH UPDATE : NDTV replayed a conversation with Abu Salem on TV live. Salem had called in STAR News to say that he was not demanding any ransom monies. It was his money that had funded and financed DEVDAS. He went on to claim that he has taped recordings of his dealings with Shah and all he was doing was asking for his 50crores. To a question that if it was really his money he emphasised that it was only Shah's name and indeed his money used to finance the movie. To another question if they extort monies he replied that they never harass people unless it was their money that was being used. The waters get murkier.......



Edited By Aarkayne on Aug. 08 2002 at 14:21