Five youngsters from Pune were reprimanded on Monday for making prank calls and sending messages to actress Preity Zinta in the name of Bollywood superstars Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan, police said.
The youngsters, identified as Arif Mirza, Farooq Sheikh, Tausif Patel, Uday Nikalje and Silven Lobo, were called to Khar police station in western Mumbai and let off after a strong reprimand, police said.
"The complaint lodged by Zinta amounted to non-cognisable offence and the youths did not have any criminal motive," Deputy Commissioner of Police Amitabh Gupta said.
Preity Zinta had lodged complaint at Khar police station on August 3, saying that she was receiving abusive SMSs and phone calls, in which the sender identified himself as Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan.
Gupta said initially it was established that the callers and senders were Pune-based, and subsequent probe revealed that mobile phone of one Arif Mubarak Mirza, 21, from Pune was used for the purpose.
The actress was also annoyed with her cellular service provider to whom she had specifically directed not to divulge her cell number to anyone, police said, adding Zinta suspected that someone close to her may have leaked her number.
"Investigations revealed that Uday Nikalje and Mohasin Sheikh, employees of a franchisee company of the cellular provider had managed to get the cell number and obliged their friends by giving it," Gupta said.
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