Eight years after he allegedly posed as an underworld operative to threaten actor Salman Khan’s family in a bid to foray into Bollywood, Mohammad Shahrukh alias Shera Khan is back in the spotlight. The Prayagraj-based history-sheeter was recently arrested by Lucknow police in connection with a chain-snatching case.The accused in Lucknow police custody. (Sourced)Shera, 34, an accused from Prayagraj carrying a reward of ₹25,000 on his arrest, was apprehended by the Ghazipur police station team in connection with a chain-snatching incident reported in the Indira Nagar area on May 6, officials said on Saturday.The case came to light after Vinay Gupta, a resident of Sector 22 in Indira Nagar, lodged a complaint alleging that two unidentified motorcycle-borne men had snatched a gold chain from his wife. Police registered an FIR under Section 304(2) (punishment for snatching) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation.According to police, Shera was arrested on May 28 during a vehicle-checking drive in Lucknow. His latest arrest adds another chapter to the story of a man whose name has repeatedly surfaced at the intersection of street crime, alleged underworld claims and an unsuccessful quest for Bollywood attention.According to ACP (Ghazipur) Anindya Vikram Singh, Shera and an accomplice allegedly snatched a gold chain from a woman in Indira Nagar earlier this month. During the arrest, police recovered a fragment of the stolen chain, ₹8,000 in cash allegedly linked to another case, and a motorcycle believed to have been used in the crime.While the latest allegations relate to street crime, Shera is best known for a case that brought him national attention nearly eight years ago.“In 2018, he was arrested after allegedly making threatening phone calls to Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, and the actor’s personal assistant. During those calls, he reportedly claimed to be associated with underworld figure Chhota Shakeel and attempted to create the impression that he had links with organised crime networks,” the ACP said.“However, investigators later found that the motive behind the calls was unusual. Police inquiries at the time revealed that Shera wanted to get in touch with Salman Khan and was seeking an opportunity in the film industry. When those efforts failed, he allegedly resorted to making threatening calls, leading to his arrest by the Mumbai crime branch with assistance from Uttar Pradesh Police,” police said in an official statement.Criminal dossier: 20 cases, multiple encountersThe arrested chain-snatching accused is a listed history-sheeter from Prayagraj with a criminal record spanning nearly two decades. Police records show around 20 cases against him, including charges of attempted murder, extortion, robbery, snatching, illegal possession of arms, use of explosive substances, and violations under the Gangster Act and Goonda Act.Shera had also come into the spotlight in 2018 for allegedly issuing threat calls to Salman Khan and his father following which he was arrested by the Mumbai crime branch with assistance from UP Police.“He was also arrested in separate police encounters in Prayagraj in 2019 and 2020,” the ACP said.In 2023, his name resurfaced after a photograph purportedly showing him brandishing a revolver went viral on social media. An audio clip allegedly featuring him discussing slain mafia don Atiq Ahmed and claiming underworld connections also circulated online, Ghazipur SHO Rajesh Kumar Maurya said.