By Bhaarati K Dubey & Mateen Hafeez\TNN
Mumbai: Crorepati bar girl Tarannum Khan not only bet on cricket matches, but also dabbled in producing films, according to police investigations.A top bookie, who was arrested in a betting case involving an international cricketer, revealed during interrogations that Tarannum had financed a slew of low-budget C-grade Bollywood films.
According to the bookie, Tarannum used to lend money to small-time film producers at 10 per cent interest for a short period. He claimed to have recently helped Tarannum buy a bungalow in Vile Parle.
The bookie-turned film financier, whose name was found in Tarannum’s diary, was interrogated by the crime branch on Thursday. The police are also probing the role of a Bollywood heroturned-villain, who is believed to have introduced the bar girl to some cricketers. Deepa Bar, where Tarannum used to work, had always been the favourite destination of film personalities, including big and small-time directors and a well-known music director.
A crime branch officer said: “Tarannum was caught betting with the bookie during a match between India and Australia. The link between Tarannum and other bookies is being probed. The bookie who was called for questioning was an associate of cricket bookie Shobhan Mehta.’’
Tarannum, popularly knows as Tannu, lost Rs 1.5 crore on August 9, after India lost to Sri Lanka in the finals of the Videocon Cup. This came to light when IT officers found a series of SMS from bookies on her mobile phone. “We’re probing the link between the bar dancer and the bookies. There has been some progress in the case. There is a possibility of involvement of several bookies and bar dancers,’’ a police officer said.
The Times of India, September 10, 2005
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