Man who threatened to kill Alia Bhatt is granted bail

Mahesh Bhatt was forced to lodge a police complaint against the multiple extortion calls he received, threatening to kill his wife Soni Razdan and daughter Alia Bhatt if Rs 50 lakhs was not given to him. The police traced the calls and messages to Lucknow resident Sandeep Sahu, who was jailed. However, Sandeep has now been granted bail for Rs 20,000. Sandeep’s lawyers cited that he could only be booked for ‘criminal intimidation’ and not ‘extortion’. "For this section of extortion to be applicable, there should be some transfer of valuable security or money, grievous hurt or injury. However, there is no such thing in the present case. The police in their overzealousness has booked him for a graver offense,” Sudha Dwivedi, one of his lawyers, told a news daily.