Who’s the Nagma in gutka mess?

Now in the custody of Mumbai police, Ansari is alleged to be a key link in the case of the mafia links of gutka barons Rasiklal Manikchand Dhariwal and J.M. Joshi, both now evading arrest warrants and Interpol alerts somewhere in Dubai.

Ansari (36), who owns a sea-facing flat in Mahim, said he had delivered the Rs 10 lakh to actor Nagma in Bandra in 2000.

The problem is both the Nagmas have — or had — ties to Bandra, and both are actors. Only the CBI, which has now taken over the case, will be able to decide which one is the Nagma named by Jumbo.

For the present, both Nagmas are strenuously denying their involvement.

The more well-known of the duo is the oomphy Tamil star, once linked with Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly. The Congress hastily pulled Nagma — her real name is Namrata Sadhana — from campaign duty after the confession became public last week.

A furious Nagma said it was a case of mistaken identity, she had never met Anees (Dawood’s elder brother), and the confession referred to another Nagma from Bandra, whose mother Tabassum was arrested from Versova for arms possession in 2000.

But on Friday night, the Nagma she blamed surfaced in a phone call to The Indian Express from Chennai.

‘‘I have unnecessarily been pulled into this controversy,’’ said Nagma Tabassum Khan. ‘‘I am based in Chennai, and how can anybody link my name (to the confession) when I have not been to Bandra for five years?’’

Khan said: ‘‘The last time I was in Bandra was when I was 14 years old, studying in Mount Mary boarding school. I used to live with my mother in Versova. My mother, Tabassum, left India in 2000, and she is presently in London.’’

Police sources confirmed Tabassum had been arrested from Versova, something her daughter — who moved to Chennai after acting in only one Hindi movie, Boond — did not deny.

Nagma had a reverse journey: She moved to Mumbai after achieving fame in Chennai. She pointed to her address as defence. ‘‘I don’t stay in Carter Road (where Jumbo said he delivered Rs 10 lakh), Bandra. I stay at Mount Mary, Bandra.’’