By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 8 Feb: Well-known actor and film producer, Arushi Nishank, who is the daughter of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and ex-Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, has alleged that she has been duped of Rs 4 crores by two Mumbai based producers. She has claimed that she was duped under the pretext of offering her a prominent role in the film and a promise of high returns on her investment. The Dehradun police have registered a case against the accused, Mansi Varun Bagla and Varun Pramod Kumar Bagla.
According to Arushi’s complaint, she is engaged in film production and acting through her partnership firm, Himshri Films. She alleged that the accused had approached her at her Dehradun residence, introducing themselves as directors of Mini Films Private Limited. They claimed to be producing a film titled “Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyaan”, starring Shanaya Kapoor and Vikrant Massey, and offered her a significant role. However, the offer came with a condition that she had to invest Rs 5 crores in the project. She further claimed that the accused assured her of a three-fold return on her investment, amounting to around Rs 15 crores, and promised that she could finalise her role as per her satisfaction. They even claimed that, if she wasn’t satisfied, her Rs 5 crores investment would be refunded with 15 percent annual interest.
According to Arushi, she fell for the scheme and signed an MoU with Mini Films Private Limited on 9 October 2024 and transferred Rs 2 crore the next day. Subsequently, additional payments of Rs 25 lakhs were made on 27 October, Rs 75 lakhs on 30 October, and Rs 1 crore on 19 November, totalling an amount of Rs 4 crores.
She first suspected fraud on 5 February 2025, when the accused informed her through a messenger that India based shooting was completed and that another actress had replaced her for the remaining European schedule. Moreover, the accused allegedly removed her images from the official Mini Films Private Limited pages and circulated doctored photos of the film’s director and team.
When Arushi demanded her money back, the accused allegedly threatened her with dire consequences, including harm to her family, defamation, and even framing her for a crime punishable by death or life imprisonment.
Based on her complaint, Dehradun Kotwali police have registered a case against Mansi Varun Bagla and Varun Pramod Kumar Bagla under various sections, including fraud. Investigations are underway.
