Anna-endorsed filmmaker arrested on betting charges at Ahmedabad airport

What is the link between Anna Hazare and a bookie cum film producer from Mumbai? That of an anti-graft crusader and a film made on his favourite subject!  However, besides producing films, this Anna follower, Prakash Chandani, also had other aces up his sleeve, for which he was arrested at the Ahmedabad airport in the early morning of Thursday.

Gali Gali Chor Hai is a political satire about a common man’s fight against corruption. What comes as a shocker here is the fact that the movie had been allegedly produced with black money!

Interestingly, the Anna had championed the cause of Prakash Chandani’s movie Gali Gali Chor Hai, which had highlighted the issue of corruption in public life.

A special screening of the movie was organised at Ralegan Siddhi, the native place of the anti-corruption crusader. The cast and crew of the movie were present during the screening.
 After watching the movie, Hazare had said that more movies of this kind must be made and people should go and watch such films in theatres.

Chandani who was on cops’ radar for his alleged role in an IPL betting racket, was detained by the immigration officials at Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport after he arrived on an Emirates flight from Dubai. He was later handed over to police. A look out notice against Chandani had been issued by the Mumbai Crime Branch for a forgery and money laundering complaint registered in January 2012.

Chandani had partly produced the film Gali Gali Chor Hai, with Nitin Manmohan.

Sources said that Chandani was absconding since January 2012 and had escaped to Dubai to evade arrest by the Mumbai Crime Branch. However, he was nabbed in the wee hours on Thursday when an immigration officer – Ramesh Chandulal found a look out notice against his passport.

Talking to DNA, VS Sarvaiya, police inspector at the Sardarnagar police station, said that Chandani is wanted for money laundering case and had also come under the scanner for betting in IPL.

“He is basically a bookie, who but has invested money in film industry,” he said. The Mumbai crime branch, had earlier questioned Nitin Manmohan regarding the financing of the film after investigations had revealed that Chandani had allegedly used his income from gambling to finance the movie. Manmohan had admitted to using Chandani’s money in making the movie.  

Along with Chandani, police have also identified one Sunil Dubai who controlled 60% of Mumbai-based bookies through Chandani.

Chandani’s name first cropped up after the arrest of another bookie, Sunil Jalan, who blew Chandani’s lid.  Besides Akshaye Khanna, Satish Kaushik and Mugdha Godse were also part of the movie’s starcast.