According to officials, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi revealed to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was at the top of his list of 10 main targets for elimination. Bishnoi, a notorious criminal, claimed that he sought revenge against Khan for hunting a black buck, which is considered sacred by the Bishnoi community, in 1998.
He confessed to the NIA in December of last year that he had directed his aide, Sampat Nehra, to conduct surveillance on Khan’s Mumbai residence. However, Nehra was apprehended by the Special Task Force of the Haryana Police.
On April 11 of this year, Salman Khan received a death threat call, according to the Mumbai Police, just weeks after a man was detained for sending a threatening email to the actor. In response to perceived threats against Khan, the Mumbai Police provided him with Y+ category security, and the Maharashtra State government took action after the actor received a threat letter from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Currently serving time in Tihar Jail in the national capital, Bishnoi also admitted that he had procured two semi-automatic pistols known as “Zigana” from America through Goldie Brar in 2021 for the infamous Gogi gang.
The gang allegedly attacked and killed Tillu Tajpuriya inside his Tihar jail cell in April of this year. Brar, based in Canada, had previously claimed responsibility for the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab’s Mansa district the previous year and also took responsibility for Tajpuriya’s killing.
Based on Bishnoi’s confession to the NIA in December, investigators suspect that the guns provided to the Gogi gang by him may have been used in the sensational killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf. The brothers were shot dead while being transported to a hospital in Prayagraj on April 15 amidst a police presence.
Mumbai Police have also registered a case against jailed gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldie Brar, and Rohit Garg for allegedly sending threatening emails to actor Salman Khan’s office. Bandra Police have filed charges under sections 506(2), 120(b), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In addition to Salman Khan, Bishnoi stated that he also targeted Shagunpreet, the manager of the late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. According to Bishnoi, Shagunpreet was on his hit list as he managed the accounts of the late singer and provided shelter to Vicky Middukhera, a student leader in Punjab politics who supported Lawrence Bishnoi and was subsequently killed.
Furthermore, Bishnoi confessed to the NIA that Vikas Singh, a strongman from Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, had provided refuge to members and henchmen of his gang at Singh’s hideout.
On April 18, Delhi’s Patiala House Court granted the NIA seven days of custody of Bishnoi in a case related to terror funding for pro-Khalistani outfits, according to Bishnoi’s advocate Vishal Chopra.
Lawrence Bishnoi, who is accused in the Siddhu Moosewala murder case, was arrested by the Punjab police last year.
