The Bandra police have booked a father-son duo for  allegedly misleading people by claiming that their event—the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Award—is an official government programme. According to the FIR, Anil Mishra and his son Abhishek allegedly used WhatsApp calls and messages to convince people to obtain sponsorships from multiple companies.

They have been accused of securing sponsorships from state tourism departments of UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Maharashtra, as well as from many PSUs and insurance companies. They also falsely claimed that film actors would be “star guests” at the two-day event, which was to be held at a five-star hotel in Bandra. The event was to be held at the hotel Taj Lands End in Bandra, with permission from Bandra police, Bandra traffic division, and Rangbhoomi Prayog Parinirikshan Mandal (Scrutiny Board, Government of Maharashtra).