A 30-year-old IT engineer from Bengaluru has been arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch for allegedly sending extortion threats to Bollywood actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Tusshar Kapoor while pretending to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The accused, identified as Vaibhav Mishra, was taken into custody in Bengaluru on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and police say he had no real connection to the gang. The case has pulled back the curtain on how quickly fear around high-profile gang threats can be copied by people looking for easy money.
How Mumbai Police Tracked Down the Bengaluru Engineer
The Mumbai Crime Branch began tracing the sender after the actors reported the threatening messages. Investigators used the accused’s online profile and technical details from the messages to zero in on his location in Bengaluru. A team from Mumbai travelled to the southern city and took Mishra into custody.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajtilak Roushan confirmed the arrest. Police said Mishra would be brought to Mumbai after obtaining a transit remand from a local court in Bengaluru.
“After the information was reported by the actors, we started tracing the sender through his online profile and using technical details, we succeeded in reaching him. We have just taken him into custody.”
— A police officer involved in the investigation
Mishra worked as an IT engineer in Bengaluru and is also reported to be an IIT graduate. Investigators believe he used artificial intelligence to generate voice samples and found the contact numbers of the actors through online searches.
The Rs 5 Crore Threat to Tusshar Kapoor
The case first came to light through Tusshar Kapoor, who received an audio message from someone claiming to be Harry Boxer, also known as Hari Chand Jat, a close aide of the jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The sender demanded Rs 5 crore from the actor.
Kapoor reported the threat to Mumbai Police, and the matter was handed over to the Anti-Extortion Cell and the Crime Branch. The Crime Branch’s technical team then compared the voice in the audio clip with official voice samples of Harry Boxer available in police records. The voices did not match, which raised doubts about whether the caller was really who he claimed to be.
“The voice samples did not match, strengthening suspicions that the caller may have falsely used the name of a Lawrence Bishnoi gang member to intimidate the actor and extort money.”
— Senior police sources
No FIR had been registered in the Tusshar Kapoor case at the time the threat was first reported, and the investigation was still in its early stages.
Ayushmann Khurrana’s Instagram Messages
Ayushmann Khurrana reportedly received threatening messages on Instagram from someone claiming to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The sender allegedly demanded crores of rupees from the actor.
The messages to Khurrana were sent through Instagram, while the threat to Kapoor came as an audio clip. Police have said there is no confirmed link between the two cases at this stage, even though the same accused is being questioned in connection with the threats to multiple actors.
Investigators are still working to establish why Mishra contacted Khurrana and whether the demand for money was a genuine extortion attempt or something else. Police have said the messages may have been a prank, but the interrogation is continuing to determine the exact motive.
Why Police Say the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Link Is Fake
Preliminary investigations have found no evidence that Mishra has any connection to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police believe he was an opportunist who tried to use the gang’s name to scare celebrities and make quick money.
“He is not linked to that gang. We suspect prima facie that he tried to take advantage of the fear of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that had been generated in the aftermath of the firing at Tiger Shroff last month.”
— A police officer
“As of now, it does not appear that the IT engineer is linked to the Bishnoi gang in any manner, but we are yet to interrogate him and ascertain that.”
— A police officer
Police have dealt with similar cases in the past where people used the names of known gangsters to send copycat threats and try to get money. In some cases, the threats turned out to be pranks.
The Tiger Shroff Firing and Bollywood’s Security Scare
The threats to Kapoor and Khurrana came days after a firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu area on October 18, 2026. Two motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire at Shroff’s car, and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang later claimed responsibility for the attack.
A person named Anil Pandit, claiming to represent the group, shared a threatening message directed at Salman Khan, asking him to apologise to Lawrence Bishnoi and the Bishnoi community. The firing and the threats that followed created a climate of fear in the Hindi film industry, and police believe Mishra tried to exploit that fear.
The arrest is part of a wider probe into threatening messages sent to multiple Bollywood personalities. Police are investigating the motive behind the threats and the full extent of Mishra’s involvement.
Charges and Investigation Status
Mishra was arrested in Bengaluru and is being brought to Mumbai for further questioning. The Mumbai Crime Branch is handling the investigation, with support from the Anti-Extortion Cell.
Police are also examining messages allegedly sent to other celebrities and individuals. The investigation is focused on understanding why Mishra targeted film personalities and whether anyone else was involved in the threats.
Ayushmann Khurrana was last seen in the film Udta Teer, co-starring Sara Ali Khan. He is next expected to appear in Yeh Prem Moh Liya alongside Sharvari. Tusshar Kapoor was last seen in Welcome to the Jungle and will return with the fifth instalment of Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal franchise, scheduled for release on January 8, 2027.
Also Read: Badshah Says Ramayana’s Jatayu Scene Made Him Cry: ‘Every Frame Is Breathtaking’
Stay with VvipTimes for clear, fact-checked entertainment news you can trust.
Leave a Reply