Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana received a threatening audio message on Wednesday, November 4, in which the sender claimed links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and demanded crores of rupees, according to Mumbai Police sources cited by multiple news outlets. Police are investigating the message and trying to establish who sent it, and whether the claimed gang link has any basis at all.
The development comes just a day after actor Tusshar Kapoor received a similar threat, and it has added to the growing unease in the film industry after a string of attacks and threats against celebrities in recent weeks. Later on Wednesday, reports said the Mumbai Crime Branch had detained a 30-year-old man from Bengaluru in connection with the messages, with early findings pointing towards a possible prank rather than a gang operation.
Ayushmann, who is currently promoting his upcoming family drama Yeh Prem Mol Liya, has not issued any public statement on the reported threat so far.
What happened on Wednesday
According to reports quoting Mumbai Police sources, Ayushmann received an audio message in which the sender identified himself as being associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and demanded a large sum of money. The exact figure demanded from Ayushmann has not been independently confirmed, with reports describing it only as crores of rupees.
Police are examining the recording and comparing the voice with samples already in their records. The cyber cell is also said to be tracing the number and location from which the message was sent. As of the early reports, no FIR had been registered in connection with the threat to Ayushmann.
The caution is deliberate: invoking a gang’s name does not, by itself, prove the sender belongs to it.
The Tusshar Kapoor threat a day earlier
On Tuesday, November 3, Tusshar Kapoor reportedly received a threatening call from a man who called himself Harry Boxer and claimed to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The caller demanded Rs 5 crore as extortion. Kapoor alerted Mumbai Police immediately, and the case was handed to the Anti-Extortion Cell and the Crime Branch.
The Crime Branch’s technical team compared the audio with official voice samples of Harry Boxer in its database. According to senior police officials quoted in the reports, the samples did not match, raising suspicion that the call was fake and that someone had simply used the gang’s name to create fear.
One man detained, gang link in doubt
Later on Wednesday, reports said the Mumbai Crime Branch had detained a 30-year-old man from Bengaluru, identified as Vaibhav Mishra, and is bringing him to Mumbai for questioning. Times Now described the action as an arrest, while other outlets reported it as a detention. According to the reports, preliminary investigation has found no evidence so far linking him to the gang, and police suspect the audio threat may have been a prank. One report added that he allegedly sent threatening messages to several actors while invoking gang members’ names. The motive has not yet been determined.
For now, the facts are narrow: two actors received threatening messages in two days, both invoking the same gang’s name, and police are treating the claimed gang connection as unverified while they trace the actual sender.
A wider pattern worrying Bollywood
The two threats did not arrive in isolation. They came weeks after the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff on October 18, when gunshots were fired as he was leaving a football club in his car. Police have arrested 13 people in connection with that case, including the alleged shooters.
Since then, several celebrities have visibly stepped up security. Salman Khan has been provided Y+ security, and Amitabh Bachchan greeted fans during his customary Sunday Darshan on November 1 from behind a protective glass enclosure after police reportedly received a threat email.
On November 3, the All India Cine Workers Association wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking foolproof security for film stars and their families, a crackdown on extortion networks, and an NIA investigation.
What happens next
- Police will question the detained man in Mumbai and establish whether he sent the messages to Ayushmann and other actors.
- Voice matching and technical tracing should confirm whether the audio clips match any person already on police record.
- Investigators will decide whether an FIR is registered and whether more people are involved.
- The film industry will watch whether security arrangements for stars are reviewed again after this week’s incidents.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected as police complete the questioning and technical verification.
FAQs
What threat did Ayushmann Khurrana receive?
He reportedly received a threatening audio message on November 4 from a sender claiming Lawrence Bishnoi gang links and demanding crores of rupees. Mumbai Police sources confirmed the message, and police are investigating.
Has anyone been arrested in the case?
Reports on Wednesday evening said the Mumbai Crime Branch detained a 30-year-old man from Bengaluru, identified as Vaibhav Mishra, and is bringing him to Mumbai for questioning. Early findings suggest no gang link has been established yet.
Has Ayushmann commented on the threat?
As of Wednesday evening, neither Ayushmann nor his representatives had made a public statement about the reported threat.
What is Ayushmann’s next film?
He will next be seen in Sooraj R. Barjatya’s family drama Yeh Prem Mol Liya opposite Sharvari, which is releasing on November 27, 2026.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected as police complete the questioning and technical verification. Informeia will update this story as confirmed information emerges.
