Mumbai:
Bhojpuri actor Anil Samrat, who was associated with Lalu Prasad's RJD for around 10 years and ran a liquor business in his home district Aara in Bihar before taking up a career in acting, opened fire at a city film studio while asking for whereabouts of the owner who had taken a loan from him.
Acting on a complaint filed by studio owner Krushankumar Gupta, the police detained the actor for questioning yesterday morning and charged him with illegal possession of arms and attempt to murder.
Samrat allegedly opened fire from his Mausar pistol, sans licence, to scare Gupta's staff who pleaded ignorance about the whereabouts of the owner of the studio. Assistant Sub Inspector Rajendra Kane of Amboli police station said the incident took place at 10.30 pm on Tuesday when Samrat went to the Krishna Audio Vision Studio located at Skytek building in Amboli seeking repayment of the Rs 1 lakh loan that he claims to have given to Gupta.
"When he did not find the owner there, he started threatening his staff members who were present at the spot and shot a round in the air," said Kane.
When Samrat left the spot in a huff, the scared staff members called Gupta and narrated the incident to him. Gupta soon approached the police and registered a case of attempt to murder against the actor.
The police officers have recorded the statements of Gupta and his employees present at the spot. "Gupta had taken Rs 1 lakh as loan from Samrat and had paid only half the amount.
Gupta was to still pay Samrat around Rs 40,000 that led to the incident", added Kane.
MiD DAY spoke to one of his country cousins who said that there had been no major criminal records against him. But he confirmed the actor used to be associated with people with criminal backgrounds as he ran a theka in Aara. He added that Samrat contested the assembly polls from Aara as an Independent candidate as the actor severed ties with Lalu and his party. He lost the election by 1,200 votes. Though Samrat shifted to Mumbai to make a career in films three years ago, his family still stays in Aara.