Bengal Man Arrested for Making Extortion Threat Calls to Comedian Kapil Sharma

National News: A 45-year-old man from West Bengal has been arrested by Mumbai police for allegedly making extortion calls to Bollywood actor and comedian Kapil Sharma and demanded Rs 1 crore as a bribe. The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested the accused, identified as Dilip Choudhary, officials said. Choudhary reportedly threatened Kapil Sharma using the names of well-known gangsters Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar. He asked the comedian for Rs 1 crore through phone calls and videos. On September 22 and 23, Sharma received about seven calls from the accused.

Police Custody and Investigation

Officials added that Choudhary has been sent to police custody until September 30. Investigators are looking into whether he had any real connection with the gangsters or was only using their names to scare the comedian and demand money.

Threats Related to TV Show

Separately, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has issued a warning to Kapil Sharma's comedy show, The Great Indian Kapil Show. The warning came after a celebrity guest on the show referred to Mumbai by its old name, 'Bombay'.
MNS leader Ameya Khopkar, head of the party’s film wing, posted on X that even though Bombay was renamed Mumbai over 30 years ago, the old name is still used by some Bollywood guests, Delhi-based MPs, and show anchors. He urged the show to respect the official name. "Bombay was officially changed to Mumbai by the Maharashtra Government in 1995 and by the Central Government in 1996, before other cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Therefore, a humble request-cum-warning is being issued to use Mumbai," Khopkar wrote.