Shilpa Shetty's parents, Sunanda and Surendra, appear to be in a tight spot with the Surat police having gathered what they claim to be clinching evidence against them in a case of alleged extortion.
Tapes containing recorded telephone conversations allegedly reveal how the actress's parents used the underworld to recover modelling dues of Rs 80 lakh (approximately US $170,000) payable to the actress by a Surat-based saree manufacturer, Parag Sarees. Shetty is now on bail.
According to the Surat police, the threats were issued by Malaysia-based gangster Fazal-ur-Rehman alias Fazloo and his aide Uday Shetty to industrialist Shivnarain alias Pankaj Agarwal.
The first call was made by Uday Shetty on March 24. He asked Agarwal to pay Rs 2 crore (US $425,000) to settle Shilpa's account. When the calls were repeated, Agarwal spoke to Shilpa's parents, who the police say advised him to pay up. Fazloo also spoke to Agarwal and demanded the money.
Agarwal lodged a police complaint and the police taped the telephone conversations. Excerpts from the tapes released by the police:
Uday Shetty: Shilpa Shetty wala matter hai. [This is about the Shilpa Shetty matter.]
Agarwal: Kya matter? Kaisa matter? Aap kaun bol rahe hai? [What matter? Who is speaking?]
Uday Shetty: Acchha, tu ek kaam kar, bhai se baat kar le. [Okay, speak to 'bhai'.]
(He gives Fazloo's number and disconnects. Fazloo phones Agarwal.)
Fazloo: Apko unko do khokha dena padenga. [You have to pay them Rs 2 crore.]
Agarwal: Lekin hamara kuch lena-dena nahin nikalta. [But I don't owe them anything.]
Fazloo: Aapko bata diya na, aapko paisa dena hi padenga. [I have told you, you have to give the money.]
(Uday Shetty calls again.)
Uday Shetty: Aap ne kya socha? [What have you decided?]
Agarwal: Lekin hamara kuch lena-dena nahin hai. [But I have nothing to do with them.]
Uday Shetty: Aapse paisa vasool karne ke liye hamein advance bhi mil gaya hai. Agar paisa nahin diya to hum tumhara game kar denge. [We have already received an advance to get the money from you. If you do not pay up, we will kill you.]
Agarwal: Lekin aap Shetty ke aadmi ho kaise maloom padenga? [How will I know if you are Shetty's man?]
Uday Shetty: Main aapko ek number deta hoon, aap wahan baat kar lena. [I will give you a number. Speak to them.]
(He gives Surendra Shetty's number.)
Uday Shetty: Meri Shetty se baat ho gayi hai, aap bhi baat kar lo. [I have already spoken to Shetty. You also talk to him.]
(Agarwal phones Surendra on the number given to him by Uday Shetty.)
Agarwal: Aap bhi businessman ho. Main bhi hoon. Yeh raasta barabar nahin hai. Woh log to apni zabaan mein baat karte hain. Woh seedhi baat nahin karte. [Both of us are businessmen. This tactic is not good. Those people do not deal properly, they use their own language.]
Surendra: Aap ko paisa to dena hi padenga. Tum Sunanda se baat kar lo. Woh Kashmir mein hai. [You will have to pay up. Talk to Sunanda. She is in Kashmir.]
(Agarwal calls up Sunanda Shetty.)
Agarwal: Fazloo mujhe bahut pareshan karta hai. Main office mein baith nahin sakta hoon, aap please use rokiye. [Fazloo is harassing me. I cannot sit in my office. Please stop him.]
Sunanda: Aap humko paisa de do, phones apne aap hi band ho jayenge. [Give us the money. The telephone calls will stop.]
