Bollywood actor, director and film producer Deepak Tijori has alleged that he was cheated of ₹2.5 lakh on the pretext of raising funds for his upcoming Hindi film Tom Dick and Mary. Based on his complaint, the Bangur Nagar Police have registered a case against three accused, including two women, for allegedly duping him by posing as industry insiders.
According to the police, the complainant, Deepak Tijori (63), a resident of Garden Estate in Goregaon West, has been active in the film industry since 1990. In December 2024, he completed the script of Tom Dick and Mary and began the process of producing the film, which required an investment of around ₹25 crore.
As per the complaint, in the first week of February 2025, a woman identified as Kavita Shibag Kapoor visited Tijori at his residence and introduced herself as being associated with T-Series. She also claimed to have strong links with the Zee Network and the media industry. Subsequently, she introduced Tijori to her associate, Fauzia RC, stating that she could arrange a Letter of Interest (LoI) from the Zee Network, which would help in mobilising investors for the project.
The two women allegedly assured Tijori that the LoI would be procured within a week and demanded ₹2.5 lakh as the first instalment. Trusting their claims, an MoU was executed on February 21, 2025, following which Tijori transferred ₹2.5 lakh to Fauzia RC’s bank account on February 22, 2025.
However, despite the passage of considerable time, neither was any Letter of Interest received from the Zee Network nor was the money returned. The complaint further states that Tijori was made to speak over the phone with a person named Joshi, who was introduced as a Zee Network representative. Later, upon verification with senior officials of the Zee Network, it was revealed that no such person was employed with the organisation.
Realising that he had been cheated through false identities, fake contacts and a well-planned conspiracy, Tijori approached the police. The Bangur Nagar Police registered a case on January 13, 2026, against Kavita Shibag Kapoor, Fauzia RC and one unidentified person. Efforts are on to trace and arrest the accused, and further investigation is underway.