A complaint has been filed before the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) seeking registration of an FIR against filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and his daughter Pooja Bhatt.

The plea follows an alleged confession by Bhatt in a podcast, where he purportedly claimed to have ‘fed human flesh’ to an investor on the advice of a tantrik during his struggling years in the film industry.

The complaint, submitted by advocate Satyam R Dubey on behalf of Laxminarayan Shetty – a Mulund-based social activist, alleges that Bhatt’s narration in ‘The Pooja Bhatt Show – A conversation with Mahesh Bhatt’ promotes acts ‘degrading to the sanctity of human life.’ It claims the statements violate Articles 19(2), 21, and 25 of the Constitution of India, which safeguard public order, morality, and human dignity.

According to the complaint, Bhatt claimed in the podcast that during his early filmmaking days, he encountered a tantrik on the ghats of the Ganga, who handed him a packet allegedly containing human flesh. The tantrik reportedly instructed him to feed it to a potential investor to secure funding for his film. Bhatt described how he and an associate ‘put the alleged flesh in a paan and gave it to a zamindar in Gaya, Bihar, believing it would induce investment.’ He further said the investor “brought it close to his mouth and started chewing it.”

The petition further cites provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, asserting that law enforcement agencies have a duty to act upon any disclosure of such practices.

“My client submits that if the statements attributed to Mr Mahesh Bhatt are left unchecked, they would set a dangerous precedent by glorifying criminal superstition and cannibalistic behaviour under the guise of occult practice, eroding constitutional values and societal norms,” the complaint states.

The narration, it says, “glorifies exploitation through occult means for commercial advantage, thereby encouraging irrational and unlawful conduct.” The complaint urges the Mumbai Police to treat Bhatt’s statement as information disclosing cognisable offences, register an FIR, and initiate a detailed investigation. It also requests that the police secure the electronic evidence, including the podcast episode hosted on iHeartRadio, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and record statements from all persons involved.

The complainant has also moved the MSHRC, stating that the issue involves grave violations of human dignity. The petition highlights that India, as a member of the United Nations, is bound by international resolutions opposing harmful practices linked to witchcraft, occultism, and ritual acts.

When contacted, Shetty said, “When celebrities speak of feeding ‘human flesh’ in the name of occult rituals, it sends a dangerous message to the public. My complaint is meant to remind everyone that no one is above the law, and such acts strike at the roots of human dignity and morality.”

Mahesh Bhatt’s number remained unreachable, and queries sent to Pooja Bhatt went unanswered till press time.