Mumbai police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against filmmaker Manish Gupta for allegedly stabbing his driver, Rajibul Islam Lashkar, following a heated dispute over unpaid salary. The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday night at Gupta's residence in Sagar Sanjog building, Versova, and the FIR was officially filed on Friday, June 6, 2025.

According to the FIR, the 32-year-old driver, Rajibul Islam Lashkar, had been working for Gupta for the past three years with a monthly salary of ₹23,000. However, Lashkar alleged that Gupta was not paying him on time which led to frequent altercations between them. The situation escalated when Gupta allegedly failed to pay Lashkar's salary for the previous month and terminated his employment on May 30.

On June 3, Lashkar contacted Gupta to demand his pending salary. Gupta allegedly told him that he would clear the dues only if he resumed work. Trusting his word, Lashkar returned to duty on June 4, but the payment was still not made. The situation reached a boiling point on June 5 at around 8:30 p.m. when Lashkar and Gupta were at the filmmaker's Versova office. When Lashkar once again raised the issue of his unpaid salary, Gupta reportedly became enraged and started verbally abusing him. In the heat of the moment, Gupta allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Lashkar on the right side of his torso.

Despite being injured, Lashkar managed to leave the office and alert a nearby driver and the building's watchman. He was then taken by auto-rickshaw to Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle West, where he received medical treatment for his injuries. After being stabilized, Lashkar went to the Versova police station to file a formal complaint against Gupta.

The Versova police have booked Manish Gupta under sections 118(2), 115(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertain to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, and other related offenses. As of now, Gupta has not been arrested, and the investigation is currently ongoing. Lashkar's advocate, Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh, has called for Gupta's immediate arrest.

Manish Gupta is a known screenwriter and director in the Bollywood industry, with films like "The Stoneman Murders," "Rahasya," "420 IPC," and the 2023 legal drama "One Friday Night," starring Raveena Tandon and Milind Soman, to his credit. Before becoming a director, Gupta worked as a writer in Ram Gopal Varma's team. At the time of reporting, Manish Gupta has not released a public statement regarding the allegations.