Police file closure report in Vashu Bhagnani's FIR against Ali Abbas Zafar, others

Mumbai police have filed a closure report in producer Vashu Bhagnani's FIR against director Ali Abbas Zafar, pertaining to their 2024 film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

The Mumbai police has filed a closure report before the Bandra Magistrate court, stating that filmmaker Vashu Bhagnani’s FIR against film director Ali Abbas Zafar, executive producer Himanshu Mehra and the duo's financial officer Ekesh Ranadive had been filed under "misconception that there was a fraud."

Bhagnani, on his part, has filed a protest petition against the closure report filed by Mumbai police in the FIR registered by him. Bhagnani’s FIR alleged cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery and defamation over the much-talked-over rift concerning the 2024 film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, co-produced by Bhagnani and directed by Zafar.

Mumbai police had filed a ‘C’ Summary report recently in the case. A ‘C’ Summary report is filed by police to close a criminal case when, upon investigation, it is found to be neither entirely false nor true, but instead based on a "mistake of fact" or when the dispute is of a civil nature. It signifies that while the complaint wasn't malicious, evidence is insufficient for prosecution.

Bhagnani in 2024 had filed a complaint before the Bandra court, which had directed the local police to register an FIR. Zafar, known for blockbusters like Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai, was accused of inflating bills and going over budget during the making of the Akshay Kumar-starrer, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

Bhagnani said that his company spent Rs 230 crore to produce Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and, among other allegations, he claimed that he got no analytical information regarding how much of the money was spent and for what reason.

The Mumbai police filed its closure report stating that Bhagnani filed a complaint under "misconception that there was a fraud."