Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has stayed the investigation in an FIR registered by the Bandra police alleging a scam involving the misuse of the name of Dadasaheb Phalke to organise fake film award events.
The order came on a petition filed by Anil Mishra, a former spot boy, who along with his son Abhishek, has been accused of cheating film personalities and corporate sponsors.
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad issued notice to respondent no. 2, complainant Sameer Dixit, while keeping the matter for hearing on November 7, 2025.
“Till the next date of hearing, further proceedings pursuant to FIR No. 192 of 2025 registered on February 5 at Bandra Police Station shall remain stayed,” the bench ordered.
Alleged Scam Details
The Bandra police had in February busted a racket allegedly run by Mishra and his son under the banner of the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF).
The duo reportedly misrepresented the event as a government-backed award ceremony and pressured film stars to attend. They allegedly used fabricated letters and photographs featuring the President of India, Prime Minister, and senior Union Ministers to lend credibility to the festival.
According to the complaint lodged by Sameer Dixit, state president of the BJP Film Union, Maharashtra, the accused managed to secure sponsorships from reputed firms such as PVR Inox, Cinepolis, Big FM, PNB Bank, and several state tourism departments. They also promoted the festival on BookMyShow, selling tickets priced up to Rs2.5 lakh per couple.
The complaint further stated that Mishra’s trademark application to use the name DPIFF had earlier been rejected, yet he continued to hold events under the same title. Celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Rekha, Kareena Kapoor, and Shahid Kapoor were allegedly deceived into attending the event, believing it to be associated with the official Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Legal Proceedings
The FIR was registered for offences of cheating and personation under the Indian Penal Code.
The original Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival had filed a suit against certain persons for deliberately disseminating defamatory allegations and baseless accusations to tarnish its “reputation, credibility and goodwill”.
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“Through false, fabricated, forged, misleading and unsubstantiated statements, the defendant has sought to undermine the integrity of plaintiff as well as cause unwarranted harm to the personal and professional standing of its founders, key members and their families,” the suit read.
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