Suniel Shetty making underworld bully me, says city stuntman

Delhi Police’s Special Cell was handed over the inquiry into the case this week.

Chauhan, 31, told Newsline that he has been receiving threat calls for the past more than a month from people on behalf of the actor who, he claims, have got a “supari” (contract for murder) on him. A martial arts expert despite being handicapped, Chauhan said the issue at stake is his contract with Shetty’s production company Popcorn Entertainment Pvt Ltd for doing stunts in the film The Little Godfather.

Chauhan said Shetty had first asked him to get permission to shoot for the film on railway yards and tracks in Mumbai. “I was promised Rs 5,000 every day for some eight months but Suniel Shetty cancelled my contract and have not paid me,” the winner of a ‘Red and White bravery award’ said. “He then abused and threatened me with dire consequences if I did not stay away.”

Shetty had told Mumbai Police in his complaint lodged last month that Chauhan had threatened to kidnap his children in the aftermath of the same dispute over the film contract.

Newsline could not contact the actor but an official from Popcorn Entertainment’s Mumbai office told Newsline over phone that the matter is sub judice. “We cannot comment further,” the official said. “The police are doing their work.”

Shetty’s business partner Harish Shetty said: “We don’t have anything to do with any Puran Chauhan. All his allegations are false. The law will take its own course.”

Chauhan, meanwhile, said he has got constant threat calls on his cellphone for the past few weeks. “I got a call from a man who claimed to be a member of the D-company (Dawood Ibrahim gang),” Chauhan claimed. “He told me that I should stop bothering Shetty-bhai. He said: ‘Tere bheje me itna goli daalega tu bhool jaayega. (We will fill your head with bullets). We have got a supari (contract) on you’.”

In his complaint to Delhi Police, Chauhan has said he got threat calls from two other numbers that reportedly belong to Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

A source in Special Cell, which is now handling the case, said: “It seems as of now that all these threats the complainant says he is getting are genuine. We are analysing call details and as soon as something concrete comes out, we may register a case”.

Police officials said they are at present verifying details and may also call people for questioning in the case.