Stars of America’s Got Talent move court against local cops

MUMBAI: A dance group from Mira Bhayandar, that shot to fame in the international arena when they won the highly-competitive America’s Got Talent show with their moves, has moved the Bombay high court for getting the prize money which, they claim, never got credited to their accounts. They allege that their manager siphoned off the money leaving them with pittance. And when they went to his office to demand their money, police used “criminal force” against them.
After approaching the police and meeting with little success, the group – Vikas Unbeatable – filed a petition before the Bombay high court which has issued a notice to the Mira Road Police. The dance group’s petition states that the police not only refused to file an FIR against their manager, Om Prakash Chauhan, but also used criminal force against them, and also their parents and guardians, when they had gone to the latter’s office to demand their money.
The group shot to fame when they became the runner-up in the reality dance show, Dance Plus, and went on to win America’s Got Talent – The Champions. At the time, their manager was Chauhan, who they had met while practicing in a garden in their initial years in the dance competition world.
According to group members, they never got the America’s Got Talent prize money or the fees for nearly 300 shows they had performed in as Chauhan was siphoning off the money without their knowledge.
The crew now claims that Chauhan used to receive the entire amounts that they earned in his personal bank account and conceal the exact figures from them. “We only got ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 in our account. During America’s Got Talent, we stayed in the US for 60 days and later learnt that the crew was paid a daily allowance of $25 per person during this stint, which we never saw,” said a member of the group.
They also highlighted a fraud committed by Chauhan during the COVID-19 lockdown. He, purportedly, made a video of the members requesting donations for the group and siphoned off the sums.
In their application before the court, they stated that when they went with their parents and guardians to Chauhan’s studio to demand their money, police officials attached to the Mira Bhayandar Police Station, who were present on the spot, used criminal force against them.
The members also stated that they had first approached the Mira Bhayander Police Station on July 24, 2024, but police did not register an FIR against Chauhan. The crew then met DCP Zone- I of Mira Bhayander on July 25, 2024, and filled him in with the details, but till date no action has been initiated against Chauhan, who, they allege, possesses two passports and could have siphoned off the money to Nepal.
With the court issuing a notice, the group now awaits the next step by the police, hopeful that they would finally get to lay their hands on the prize money they had won with their sweat, sleepless nights, and back-breaking practice sessions. When contacted by HT, the incharge of Mira Road Police Station said, “I have recently been transferred to this station and am not aware of the case.”