Filmmaker Manish Gupta booked after alleged knife attack on driver

Manish Gupta booked

The Mumbai police have charged filmmaker Manish Gupta with assaulting his driver with a kitchen knife after they argued over his unpaid salary.

According to reports, the incident happened at Gupta's home in Versova's Sagar Sanjog building on Thursday night.

A police official from the Versova Police Station claims that during a furious argument, Gupta hurt his long-time driver, Rajibul Islam Lashkar.

Sections 118(2), 115(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with assault, provocation with intent to breach peace, and voluntarily causing grievous harm by dangerous weapons, are the charges against Gupta.

No one has been arrested as of yet. Advocate Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh, the driver's attorney, has demanded Gupta's immediate arrest in the meantime, emphasising the severity of the assault.

As per a report by the Free Press Journal, the first information report (FIR) reveals that Lashkar had been employed by Gupta for the past three years with a monthly wage of ₹23,000. Despite his commitment, Lashkar alleged that payments were frequently delayed.

Matters escalated on 30 May, when Gupta allegedly terminated his employment without settling pending dues. In a bid to recover his salary, Lashkar claimed he resumed work but continued to be denied payment.

Tensions reportedly flared on Thursday night when the dispute turned physical. “Lashkar alleges that Gupta stabbed him with a kitchen knife during the argument,” the report added.

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Following the assault, Lashkar managed to reach Cooper Hospital nearby, where he was treated for his injuries. He subsequently lodged an FIR at the Versova Police Station.

Manish Gupta is a well-known screenwriter and director in the Hindi film industry. He began his career as a writer with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma and penned screenplays for films such as D and Sarkar. Gupta later transitioned to direction, helming films like The Stoneman Murders and 420 IPC.

His most recent directorial project was the 2023 legal thriller One Friday Night, featuring Raveena Tandon and Milind Soman. The police investigation is currently ongoing.