The complaints, to the local police stations and senior officers, are very vague though the threats received by Mahendroo and Nigam since May this year mention a specific amount. The callers have demanded Rs 9 lakh from Mahendroo and Rs 25 lakh from Nigam, a familiar face on the musical serial Sa Re Ga Ma. Shiv Prasad Singh Yadav, who heads the Anti-Extortion Cell and who holds additional charge as additional commissioner of police (North-West), neither confirmed nordenied the threats. However, he refused to comment on the matter.

Another senior officer says the abovementioned film personalities have lodged complaints but there are others on the underworld's extortion list as well. Most of these complaints have been registered with the regional anti-extortion cells, which have registered them as ``threatening calls from unknown callers''. The complaints do not mention the particulars. Some complaints have been registered with the local police.

While Nigam and Verma were threatened by the Chhota Rajan gang, Bhosale and Jatin-Lalit had received threats from the Abu Salem gang, reveals an officer from the region. The threatening calls, which began in May, are still coming in. Other Bollywood personalities who have been threatened include Rakesh Roshan, Mukesh Bhatt and Boney Kapoor. Police protection for Roshan was discontinued though Bhatt and other stars like Govinda and Mamta Kulkarni are still covered.