Between May 2018 and March 2023, a report on Indian Express states that a total of Rs 25.49 crore was received from contributors.While in the initial 22 months since its formation in May 2018, the MPF did not receive any contributions, from March 2020, amidst the pandemic, the fund saw a notable surge in collections. A total of Rs 15.87 crore was collected in the short time, which amounted to an estimated 60% of the overall collections.
According to the RTI response, actor Akshay Kumar emerged as the most significant individual contributor, donating Rs 2 crore on April 27, 2020, just a month into the pandemic. Producer Rohit Shetty, known for his movies featuring Mumbai Police, contributed Rs 50 lakh in 2022. Other film industry contributors included Anushka Sharma (Rs 2 lakh on May 6, 2020) and Tiger Shroff (Rs 2.5 lakh on May 2, 2020). Ironically, a year later, Mumbai Police booked Shroff and actress Disha Patani for violating Covid-19 norms.
Besides celebrities, corporate entities like Excel Entertainment, Tips Industries, and Maddock Films also made substantial contributions. The inclusion of certain names of individuals and businesses has raised questions due to potential conflicts of interest.
Responding to concerns about conflicts of interest, a senior police officer overseeing the MPF fund stated that they conduct background checks on donors to ensure transparency and prevent dubious contributions from impacting ongoing probes. The officer emphasized that in cases where individuals had already been charge-sheeted, the police had relinquished control over the investigations, mitigating the potential influence of contributions on active probes.
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