Mumbai: Praising actress Preity Zinta for deposing in court that she had got threats from the underworld, former Mumbai Police Commissioner M N Singh today said when it came to Shah Rukh Khan, the actor did not stand by his similar complaint against the mafia.

"Not all people can stand in the court of law and tell publicly against the hardcore and ruthless gangsters and terrorists," Singh said.

He was speaking at the launch of a book-- 'Godfathers of Crime'-- written by veteran journalist Sheela Raval, in south Mumbai this evening.

Praising Raval for her help to police in fight against underworld, Singh said, "Another lady who supported police to fight against underworld and helped the police is actress Preity Zinta, who deposed in the court by staying firm on her stand that she had got threats from the underworld."

"Even actor Shah Rukh Khan did get threats from the underworld and when his turn came to stand in the witness box and depose in the court I got several calls from Delhi and Mumbai to provide police protection to him," he said.

"To this, I said that I will give him police protection but I hope that he stands by his own complaint. I gave him the police protection, but the gentleman went in the witness box and deposed that he didn't hear anything properly on phone,"

the former IPS officer said. "This is reality...Not everyone can fight against the underworld and help police," he said.

Several former police officials, current Joint Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti, noted columnist Shobhaa De was also present on the occasion today.

Raval said in the book, she has penned down her experiences in crime journalism, especially Mumbai's underworld and speaking face-to-face with mafia bosses.