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'No case against Preity, Salman, Rani'

Sheela Bhatt in Bombay

Bombay Police Commissioner Mahesh Narayan Singh said on Tuesday that there is no case against film stars Preity Zinta, Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee in the current investigation of Bollywood's links with the underworld.

"They are artistes and they act in films for a fixed remuneration. They are not linked to the underworld because they don't produce films. There won't be any further questioning of the three," he said.

Asked if that meant the three stars are clean, he said: "I cannot issue a character certificate."

"The media hype on Chori Chori Chupke Chupke has been painful. I am shocked to see speculative reports on their [the three actors'] arrests," Singh said.

On Bharat Shah, he said: "Bharat Shah's investment in the stock market and diamond industry is not under investigation. We are only investigating those people who have a nexus with the underworld. It is not my intention to create panic in the film industry."

The commissioner said his officers, at great personal risk, had launched this drive to cleanse the film industry of underworld elements. "I could have left the film industry to its own fate, but it is my duty to help them. Please note that I am not chasing the stars, I am chasing the underworld."

Asked how he could arrest Shah on the basis of a taped conversation, he said, "Thodi der rukiye phir pata chalega [Wait awhile and you will find out]."

The commissioner refused to speculate whether the police would proceed against Shah's other productions too. "We will take action wherever we have evidence," he said simply.

Shah is currently financing two big films -- Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas and Rajkumar Santoshi's Lajja.

Another film financed by him -- Vikram Bhatt's Kasoor -- is awaiting release, while Ajay Devgan's Raju Chacha has already been released.

Bharat Shah admitted to JJ Hospital: PTI
Bharat Shah in police custody till Jan 19
'Shakeel tapes nailed Bharat Shah': PTI

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