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Mafia doesn't fund anyone: Bharat Shah

Sheela Bhatt in Bombay

Even as Bollywood is agog with rumours of the likely arrest of top film financier Bharat Shah, the man in the eye of the storm is unperturbed and dismisses such talk as nonsense.

"Why don't you think it through please? Does the mafia ever give out or shell out any money? The underworld only threatens innocent people and takes their money. Have you ever heard of the mafia giving away its money? In 99 per cent cases innocents are threatened. You should know that the underworld never gives anyone money," Shah, also one of India's leading diamond merchants, told rediff.com

Such rumours about Shah made the rounds after the arrest of Naseem Hassan Rizvi, producer of the Salman Khan-starrer Chori Chori Chupke Chupke on Wednesday for allegedly acting as gangster Chhota Shakeel's conduit. Asked about Rizvi's arrest, Shah, the film's official financier, said "I have nothing to do with either Chhota Shakeel or any other underworld gang."

"How would I know about Rizvi's connections?" he asked. "I am talking to many journalists today, and once an interview is over my involvement with them gets over too. How would I know who is connected to whom?"

About the Bombay police's investigation into any underworld connections, Shah said, "Let the people understand whatever they want to. I don't want to comment."

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