Vaibhav Mishra, who threatened actor Ayushmann Khurrana, sent to judicial custody

A Mumbai court on Sunday sent Vaibhav Mishra to judicial custody after he was arrested for allegedly threatening Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana via Instagram. According to a report by India Today, the police had requested an extension of his custody, but the court rejected the plea and ordered the accused to be sent to jail. Following the order, Mishra immediately filed a bail application.

The police informed the court that Vaibhav Mishra had sent a threatening message to Ayushmann Khurrana on Instagram. In the message, he warned the actor that he could be shot even if he travelled in a bulletproof car. The message explicitly stated, “You sit in a bulletproof car, but I can still fire at you.”

During the hearing at the Esplanade Court in Mumbai, also known as the Killa Court, the police and public prosecutor sought a four-day extension of Mishra's police custody. Investigators argued that further interrogation was necessary to determine if Mishra was behind threats received by several other people. However, the accused's lawyer opposed this demand and requested that any extension be limited to only two days. Ultimately, the magistrate decided to send Mishra to judicial custody instead of granting the police's request.

Police investigations revealed that crucial evidence and leads to identify the accused were obtained through the Instagram message sent to Ayushmann Khurrana. Investigators are currently examining the circumstances behind the message and checking whether Mishra is linked to other threatening messages. The police informed the court that several people had received threats, though the identities of those individuals or women were not disclosed.

This entire sequence of events is linked to a previous report stating that Ayushmann Khurrana had received an audio message. The person sending the message claimed to have connections with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. According to an India Today report dated November 4, the individual had demanded crores of rupees from the actor. Mumbai police sources stated that investigators were attempting to verify the sender's identity and the voice recording was analysed against samples from a suspect.

Additionally, the police were investigating whether there was any link between the threats received by Ayushmann Khurrana and actor Tusshar Kapoor, as there were reports that Kapoor had also received an extortion call. Investigators wanted to know if these messages were genuine threats or if the name of the Bishnoi gang was being misused merely to intimidate Bollywood personalities. The arrest of Vaibhav Mishra and his judicial custody are currently seen as a significant turn in the investigation, as police are now probing his involvement in other similar cases.