Bengaluru engineer arrested for sending extortion threats to Ayushmann Khurrana, Tusshar Kapoor

The string of gang-linked threats and shootings that has rattled Bollywood in recent weeks appears to have inspired a copycat. Mumbai crime branch officers have detained a 30-year-old software professional in Bengaluru who allegedly tried to cash in on the climate of fear by sending intimidating messages to several film stars, among them Ayushmann Khurrana and Tusshar Kapoor.

The accused, Vaibhav Mishra, works as an IT engineer in the southern city. Police say he contacted the actors through Instagram. In Kapoor’s case, he allegedly sent a voice recording laced with threats and a demand for Rs 5 crore.

How police tracked him down

The investigation began after the actors flagged the messages. Investigators then worked backwards from the sender’s social media account and used technical evidence to pinpoint his location. “We have just taken him into custody,” a police officer said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajtilak Roushan confirmed the arrest. He said officers would seek a transit remand from a Bengaluru court before bringing Mishra to Mumbai.

No gang link found so far

Investigators believe Mishra was an opportunist rather than a gang operative. According to police, he saw the wave of incidents attributed to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a chance to make easy money. The officer added that nothing so far connects the engineer to the Bishnoi network. He added that this would be confirmed only after Mishra is questioned.

The Tiger Shroff connection

The threats followed closely on the October 18 shooting at Tiger Shroff’s car in Juhu. Days after that attack, Kapoor received an audio clip that claimed to come from Hari Chand Jat, alias Harry Boxer, a close associate of the jailed gangster Bishnoi.

Kapoor reported the clip to police, who sent it for forensic examination. The voice did not match Boxer’s samples in police records. Investigators therefore concluded that someone else was likely behind the message and was trying to exploit the panic the gang had created.