Filmmaker and screenwriter Manish Gupta, known for penning the critically acclaimed Sarkar and directing thrillers like Rahasya and Hostel, has issued a detailed statement refuting recent allegations of physical assault made by his former driver, Rajibul Islam Lashkar. The controversy erupted after an FIR was filed at Mumbai’s Versova police station, alleging that Gupta stabbed the driver with a kitchen knife over a payment dispute.
Calling the accusations “completely false and fabricated," Gupta pointed to CCTV footage as his key piece of evidence. “As you can clearly see in the CCTV footage screenshot, the complainant is holding his right hand over his stomach. But just zoom in — there is no blood. If he was really stabbed, where is the blood?" the filmmaker questioned. He further added that the video shows the driver walking “casually and in a carefree manner," inconsistent with the behavior of someone allegedly wounded by a knife.
Gupta also responded to claims made in the FIR that he had not paid the driver’s salary on time for the past three years. “That’s an absolute lie," he said. “My bank statements clearly show that I paid him every month on time — in fact, I often paid him in advance. The very first sentence of his statement is a blatant falsehood, which shows malicious intent."
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