Jagdish Singh Patani, a retired deputy superintendent of police and father of actress Disha Patani, has reportedly been defrauded of Rs 25 lakh by a group of five individuals who promised him a high-ranking position in a government commission.
An FIR was filed at the Bareilly Kotwali police station on Friday evening. Kotwali police in-charge D.K. Sharma told PTI that a case has been registered against Shivendra Pratap Singh, Diwakar Garg, Acharya Jayaprakash from Juna Akhara, Preeti Garg, and one unidentified person for charges including cheating, criminal intimidation, and extortion. Efforts are underway to arrest the accused, Sharma added.
Patani, a resident of Bareilly’s Civil Lines area, alleged in his complaint that he was introduced to Diwakar Garg and Acharya Jayaprakash by Shivendra Pratap Singh, whom he knew personally. The accused claimed to have strong political connections and promised Patani a prestigious position, such as chairman or vice-chairman, in a government commission.
After gaining Patani’s trust, the group allegedly took Rs 25 lakh from him – Rs 5 lakh in cash and Rs 20 lakh through transfers to three separate bank accounts. When no progress was made over the next three months, the accused assured Patani that the money would be returned with interest, according to the complaint. However, when Patani asked for his money back, the accused allegedly began threatening him and acting aggressively. Patani also claimed that the conmen introduced an accomplice as an “officer on special duty” named Himanshu to further validate their false claims of political influence.
Police are continuing their efforts to arrest the accused and take further action.
Disha Patani and her family have yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, Disha’s latest film, Kanguva, opened in theatres on November 15 to mixed reviews. The film, which also stars Suriya and Bobby Deol, has been praised for its performances but criticized for its screenplay and excessive sound effects. Disha also has Welcome To The Jungle in the works, co-starring Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and others.
(With inputs from agencies)