Days after the kidnapping of Bollywood actor Mushtaq Mohammad Khan, the Uttar Pradesh Police have now revealed that the same kidnappers were also plotting to kidnap actor Shakti Kapoor on the pretext of inviting him to an event.

According to UP Police, Shakti Kapoor was offered Rs 5 lakh to attend a similar event, but the deal did not get through due to a high advance request, failing the accused’s plan to kidnap him. The police are now investigating whether the gang was involved in the kidnapping of other film stars.

Four members of the gang who allegedly kidnapped Khan from the Delhi airport, held him hostage in UP’s Bijnor district and demanded ransom were arrested by the police after an encounter.

Speaking about the entire incident, Bijnor’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Jha said that actor Shakti Kapoor was offered Rs 5 lakh to attend a similar event, but the deal did not get through due to a high advance request. The police are now investigating whether the gang was involved in the kidnapping of other film stars.

The police launched its probe and are receiving a kidnapping complaint from Khan’s event manager, Shivam Yadav, on December 9.

According to the complaint, Lavi alias Rahul Saini had on October 15 sent an advance payment of Rs 25,000 and an air ticket to invite Khan to an event in Meerut. Upon arriving at the Delhi airport on November 20, Mushtaq was received by a cab driver who took him to a famous ‘shikanji’ shop between Meerut and Delhi.

There, Khan was forced into another vehicle, where more individuals joined him. The actor was then threatened and informed that he had been kidnapped and was being held captive at the home of Lavi, a criminal involved in the case, police said.

“During his captivity, the kidnappers took Mushtaq Khan’s bank account details and password. On the night of November 20, the accused consumed alcohol and slept. The following morning, Mushtaq Khan managed to escape and reached a mosque in Mohalla Chahshiri, where locals contacted his family and helped him return home,” Jha said.

“On November 21, the kidnappers withdrew Rs 2.2 lakh from Mushtaq Khan’s bank account while shopping in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar,” Jha added.

The arrested gang members were identified as Sarthak Chaudhary, Sabiuddin, Azim, and Shashank. Police have also recovered Rs 1.04 lakh from their possession. Efforts were still on to track down the remaining members of the gang, including Lavi.