Mumbai:

Mumbai Police have arrested a man from Jamshedpur who had threatened Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore.

According to the Mumbai Police, it registered a case against an unknown person and started an investigation after Mumbai Traffic Police received a threatening message.

“With the help of local police in Jamshedpur, an investigation was done and today the person who sent the message was arrested. He will be brought to Mumbai,” the police said.

Earlier on October 21, the Mumbai police received an apology from the same sender who threatened Mr Khan on October 18, stating that the message was “sent by mistake.”

The initial threat message was sent to the number of Mumbai Traffic Police’s control room on October 18.

A few days later, the Mumbai Traffic Police received another message from the same number, in which the individual who had issued a threat apologised, claiming the message was sent by mistake.

According to Mumbai police, the location of the person who sent this message was tracked from Jharkhand.

The person who sent the message claimed to be close to Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang and claimed to put the actor’s life in danger if not provided with the extortion money.

The sender claimed, “Don’t take it lightly, if Salman Khan wants to stay alive and wants to end the enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, then he will have to pay Rs 5 crore. If the money is not given, Salman Khan’s condition will be worse than Baba Siddique’s.”

The Worli Police filed a case in connection to the threat message received by the Mumbai traffic police.

The incident came in the backdrop of the recent murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.

Meanwhile, Salman Khan made a return to Bigg Boss 18 just days after the demise of his close friend and NCP leader, Baba Siddique.

In the latest episode, the actor admitted he didn’t want to be back on the show, but his work commitments brought him there.

The superstar shared that he didn’t feel like meeting anyone, given the difficult situation he was going through.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been issued a death threat, allegedly by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, demanding Rs 5 crore to “end the enmity”. A WhatsApp message, sent to Mumbai Traffic Police, warned that if the money is not paid, then the actor’s fate would be worse than that of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who was murdered recently, allegedly by Bishnoi gang members.

“Don’t take this lightly. If Salman Khan wants to stay alive and end the enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, he must pay Rs 5 crore. If the money is not given, his condition will be worse than Baba Siddiqui’s,” the threat message read. 

According to sources, the Mumbai Police is working to track the origins of the message and have increased security around Mr Khan’s Bandra residence. The actor has been on high alert following previous threats, and this recent development has added renewed concerns about his safety.

READ | Lawrence Bishnoi Has 700 Shooters On Call. How He Operates From Jail

Yesterday, the Navi Mumbai Police arrested a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The accused, identified as Sukha alias Sukhbir Balbir Singh, was apprehended in Haryana’s Panipat and has been linked to an alleged plot to assassinate Mr Khan. Singh had reportedly given a contract to other gang members to carry out the attack on the actor.

According to police sources, Singh had been in direct contact with his handler, Dogar, a Pakistani-based figure, to coordinate the planned attack. The gang had allegedly intended to use high-powered firearms, including AK-47s, M16s, and AK-92s, smuggled from Pakistan to execute the plot. 

Singh’s arrest is the latest in a series of breakthroughs in a broader investigation into the Bishnoi gang’s conspiracy against Mr Khan. Earlier this year, the Navi Mumbai police registered an FIR against 18 individuals from the gang for plotting to kill the actor. The FIR followed a shocking incident in which members of the gang fired outside Mr Khan’s Bandra residence.

READ | “Wanted Canada To Extradite Bishnoi Gang Members”: India On Diplomatic Row

Among the accused named in the case are high-profile members of the Bishnoi gang, including Lawrence Bishnoi himself, his brother Anmol, Sampat Nehra, Goldie Brar, and Rohit Godhara. These individuals have long been linked to organised criminal activity across North India and have become notorious for their brazen threats and acts of violence.

The ongoing police investigation has uncovered disturbing details about the gang’s planning. Police sources revealed that the Bishnoi gang had deployed between 60 to 70 operatives to monitor Mr Khan’s movements. These individuals conducted reconnaissance at various locations, including Mr Khan’s Bandra residence, his Panvel farmhouse, and the actor’s shooting locations. The gang even attempted to recruit minors to act as sharpshooters.

This is not the first time Mr Khan has been the target of death threats linked to the Bishnoi gang. In 2022, a letter threatening the actor was discovered on a bench near his residence, and in March 2023, the actor received an email allegedly sent by members of the gang. In January 2024, two unidentified individuals attempted to trespass into Mr Khan’s Panvel farmhouse using fake identities, an incident that prompted the actor to increase security around his property.

Mr Khan’s feud with Lawrence Bishnoi dates back several years. The gangster, currently imprisoned, has reportedly harboured a grudge against the actor over his alleged involvement in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The Bishnoi community reveres the blackbuck, and the incident is the primary reason why the gang seeks revenge.