Filmmaker Manish Gupta booked for allegedly stabbing driver with kitchen knife over pay dispute

Filmmaker Manish Gupta has been booked for allegedly injuring his driver with kitchen knife after an argument over non-payment of dues.

Filmmaker Manish Gupta was booked for allegedly injuring his driver with a kitchen knife after an argument over the latter's salary, a Mumbai police official said on Friday.

Filmmaker Manish Gupta has been booked for an alleged assault on his driver.

Manish Gupta booked for assault

The incident took place on Thursday night in Gupta's residence in Sagar Sanjog building, the Versova police station official said. Gupta allegedly injured his driver of three years, Rajibul Islam Lashkar (32), the official said. Gupta has been booked under sections 118(2), 115(2) and 352 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and other offences, but is yet to be arrested, he added.

Lashkar's advocate Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh sought the immediate arrest of Gupta.

According to a Free Press Journal report, the FIR stated that Lashkar had worked with the filmmaker for three years, for a salary of ₹23,000. However, Lashkar alleged that he was never paid on time. On May 30, Gupta allegedly sacked him without clearing his dues. To earn back his money, Lashkar rejoined duty, but was still not paid, the driver claimed. This led to a verbal argument between the two on Friday night at the filmmaker's Versova residence. Lashkar alleges that Gupta stabbed him with a kitchen knife during the argument.

Lashkar then rushed to the nearby Cooper Hospital and after receiving medical treatment, filed an FIR against the filmmaker at the Versova Police Station.

Who is Manish Gupta?

A screenwriter and director, Manish Gupta has directed films like The Stoneman Murders and 420 IPC. His last directorial venture was the 2023 legal drama, One Friday Night, which starred Raveena Tandon and Milind Soman. He had earlier served as a writer in Ramgopal Varma's team, writing the screenplay of films like D and Sarkar.

(With PTI inputs)