New Delhi:

Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol Bishnoi had given a nine-minute “motivational” speech to the shooters who fired multiple shots at the Bollywood actor Salman’ Khans Mumbai home in April.

According to the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai police’s crime branch, which NDTV accessed, Anmol Bishnoi had told the two shooters – Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal – that they would “script history” when they would attack the actor’s residence.

The two motorbike-borne individuals, Gupta and Pal, had fired multiple shots outside Mr Khan’s home in Galaxy Apartment in Bandra on the morning of April 14.

ALSO READ | Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Wanted To Kill Me And My Family: Salman Khan To Cops

In the speech, which was given through an audio note, Anmol Bishnoi told both the shooters – currently in judicial custody in connection with the case – that they were going to do the “best work” of their lives. 

“Do this work well. After the work is completed, you guys will script history,” he told the shooters, according to the 1,735-page chargesheet filed before a special court in Mumbai.

Anmol Bishnoi also encouraged Gupta and Pal by saying they would do “religious work”. 

“Do not be afraid at all while doing this work. Doing this work means bringing a change in the society,” he said.

He also told Gupta and Pal that the Bishnoi gang has a “style that whenever we go to do any work, we empty the magazine of the gun”. 

“You also empty the magazine when you reach outside Salman Khan’s house,” he said in the audio note.

“Firing Should Scare Salman Khan”

“Fire shots in such a manner that it scares Salman Khan” — this was also the blunt message given by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s younger brother Anmol to one of the gunmen involved in the shooting.

Bishnoi, the chargesheet says, told Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal not to wear helmets and smoke cigarettes to appear fearless.

Anmol Bishnoi was in constant touch with Gupta and Pal before the shooting, the police have found. 

The shooters and three others, Sonukumar Bishnoi, Mohammad Rafiq Choudhary, and Harpal Singh, have been arrested and are currently in judicial custody.

Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol, and one Rawtaran Bishnoi are the wanted accused in the chargesheet. 

Anmol is believed to be in Canada and a lookout circular has been issued against him.

Mumbai:

Salman Khan should get scared: this is what gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol had told the shooters who fired multiple shots at the actor’s Mumbai home on April 14, police have found.

In its 1,735-page chargesheet filed before a special court, Crime Branch has mentioned audio clips of conversations between the shooters and Anmol Bishnoi ahead of the firing. Bishnoi, the chargesheet says, told shooters Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal to not wear helmets and smoke cigarettes to appear fearless.

The chargesheet also mentions Salman Khan’s statement, in which he has said that his family is in danger of being attacked by Anmol Bishnoi. In their conversations over Signal app, Anmol Bishnoi instructed the shooters to fire multiple shots targeting the actor’s home, the chargesheet says. “Fire in a way that Bhai (Salman) gets scared, keep smoking so that you appear fearless on (CCTV) camera,” he said.

The chargesheet says Anmol Bishnoi was in constant touch with Gupta and Pal before the shooting. The police have also said that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is now in jail, had spoken to the shooters. Anmol, the chargesheet says, told the shooters that if they are successful, they will “create history” and their name will appear in media.

The shooters and three others, Sonukumar Bishnoi, Mohammad Rafiq Choudhary and Harpal Singh, have been arrested and are currently in judicial custody.

Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol and one Rawtaran Bishnoi are the wanted accused in the chargesheet. Anmol is believed to be in Canada and a lookout circular has been issued against him.

Mumbai:

Fire shots in such a manner that it scares Bollywood superstar Salman Khan — this was the blunt, one-line message given by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s younger brother Anmol to one of the gunmen involved in the shooting outside the actor’s Mumbai home, police said in a chargesheet filed in the case.

The Mumbai police’s crime branch, probing the sensational firing case, earlier this month filed a 1,735-page chargesheet before the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court.

Conspiracy of firing at the actor’s house was hatched with the intention of establishing a stronghold and supremacy in the country’s financial capital with the aim of getting pecuniary and other advantages for the Bishnoi gang, according to the chargesheet.

The chargesheet included various investigation papers incorporated in three volumes. One such document is the transcript of an audio chat between Anmol Bishnoi and arrested shooter Vickykumar Gupta.

In one of the conversations, Anmol Bishnoi is heard instructing Gupta to carry out the firing thoughtfully and everywhere, even if it takes more than a minute and should be done in such a manner that it scares ‘Bhai’ (Salman Khan), the chargesheet said.

Further, he asks Gupta if he smokes. When the latter replies in the affirmative, Anmol Bishnoi tells him to smoke while firing so that he comes across as a fearless individual in CCTV cameras installed in the area, according to the voluminous police document.

“You will create history by doing this job and your name will be there in all newspapers and other media,” it said, citing their conversation.

Two motorbike-borne individuals, Gupta and Sagar Pal, had fired multiple shots outside Mr Khan’s home in Galaxy Apartment in Bandra on the morning of April 14.

The two, along with three others — Sonukumar Bishnoi, Mohammad Rafiq Choudhary and Harpal Singh — are currently in judicial custody in connection with the case.

Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol and one Rawtaran Bishnoi have been shown as wanted accused in the chargesheet. 

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

Mumbai:

A new charge sheet filed against five accused of plotting to assassinate Bollywood actor Salman Khan has revealed chilling details. According to the Navi Mumbai Police, the accused, associated with the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, have been charged with conspiracy to murder and other grave offences. 

On April 14, Two men on motorbikes fired multiple rounds outside Mr Khan’s residence in Bandra, leading to the arrest of several individuals.

According to the charge sheet, the Bishnoi gang had issued a contract worth Rs 25 lakh to assassinate the actor. The plan was hatched over several months, from August 2023 to April 2024. Investigations have revealed that the gang intended to acquire advanced firearms from Pakistan, including AK-47s, AK-92s, M16 rifles, and the Turkish-made Zigana pistol, the weapon used in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala on May 29, 2022.

The conspiracy wasn’t merely confined to acquiring weapons; it extended to a well-orchestrated surveillance operation. According to the charge sheet, a network of approximately 60 to 70 individuals was involved in tracking Mr Khan’s every movement. This extensive surveillance covered his residence in Mumbai, his Panvel farmhouse, and even the Goregaon Film City, where he often visited for film shoots.

The charge sheet claims that boys below the age of 18 were recruited to execute the assassination. These minors were reportedly waiting for orders from Goldie Brar and Anmol Bishnoi, key figures in the gang believed to be operating from North America, to initiate the attack.

A day after the shooting incident outside Mr Khan’s home, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met with the actor and assured all help.

“The government is with you, I have told Salman Khan. Both the accused have been arrested. They will be interrogated. We will get to the root of the case. Nobody will be spared. Nobody should targeted this way,” Eknath Shinde told reporters outside the actor’s home.

“No gang or gang war will be allowed. We won’t allow this to happen. We will finish (Lawrence) Bishnoi,” he added.

Mumbai:

Mumbai police have recovered an audio file which establishes a link between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the attackers who shot at actor Salman Khan’s house in April. Sources said that the audio file shows that Lawrence’s brother Anmol Bishnoi was in constant touch with the shooter.

The authenticity of this crucial evidence was verified through forensic analysis by the Central Investigation Agency.

During the investigation, Salman Khan recounted waking up to the sound of gunshots on April 14, initially mistaking them for a nightmare until he found a bullet lodged in his balcony.

The Mumbai Police’s crime branch, led by a senior officer, swiftly responded to the scene and initiated an investigation.

Police efforts have intensified with the questioning of witnesses and suspects alike, piecing together the intricate details of the plot. The involvement of a Pakistani arms supplier in arming the assailants with high-calibre weapons such as AK-47s and M-16s underscores the seriousness of the threat posed to the actor.

Based on the current investigation, police believe that the shooting was carried out by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang who has in the past made attempts to kill Salman Khan.

Lawrence Bishnoi, along with his Canada-based cousin Anmol Bishnoi and associate Goldie Brar, had reportedly acquired AK-47s, M-16s, and other high-calibre weapons from a Pakistani arms dealer. The plan was to either ambush the star’s car or attack his farmhouse, sources said.

Six men have been arrested after two men on a bike opened fire outside Salman Khan’s home on April 14. Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal were arrested in Gujarat, while Anuj Thapan and another man were detained in Punjab on April 26. Anuj Thapan died in police custody.

Mumbai:

AK-47 and M-16 rifles from Pakistan, minor sharpshooters and an escape plan to Sri Lanka – the police have uncovered chilling details of an assassination plot to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang had allegedly conspired to strike Mr Khan’s car in Maharashtra’s Panvel, armed with weapons sourced from a Pakistani arms supplier.

The intricate plan, allegedly hatched by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, involved a sophisticated network of operatives and a cache of high-powered weapons. According to Navi Mumbai police sources, the gang enlisted the help of 60 to 70 individuals, each assigned specific roles in the execution of the diabolical plot.

Central to the scheme was the use of minors as shooters. The plan aimed to strike at Mr Khan’s vehicle in Panvel or target his secluded farmhouse.

Among those arrested in connection with this are Dhananjay Tapesingh alias Ajay Kashyap, Gaurav Bhatia alias Nahvi, Vapsi Khan alias Waseem Chikna, and Rizwan Khan, each believed to have played a key role in the plot. Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in jail, his cousin Anmol Bishnoi, and associate Goldie Brar, allegedly facilitated the acquisition of the deadly weapons from the Pakistani dealer known only as Dogar.

Kashyap, a key member of the Bishnoi gang, lived in Navi Mumbai’s Kalamboli. He was in touch with a person identified as Sukha Shooter, who has Bishnoi’s photo as his profile picture. Kashyap and his cohorts held clandestine meetings in strategic locations such as the Panvel bus stand and railway station, plotting to execute their plans, including reconnaissance of Salman Khan’s properties.

Their footprint extends across multiple states and borders, with Kashyap’s trail leading to illegal arms depots in Kashmir, Ganganagar, and even the Pakistan border.

Conversations between Kashyap and Bishnoi revealed frequent discussions among the associates about the exchange of weapons and coordination via WhatsApp calls.

Additionally, after assassinating Mr Khan, Bishnoi and Goldie Brar planned to pay a substantial sum of money to the hitmen, with the funds transferred from Canada.

The gang was prepared to use modern weapons such as AK-47s, M16s, and AK-92s to carry out the assassination. Similar weapons were used in the murder of the Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. The gang members were shown weapons like AK-47s and ammunition through WhatsApp video calls.

Following the execution of the attack, the attackers were instructed to flee to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, where they would be ferried by sea to Sri Lanka. From there, arrangements were in place for their safe passage to another country, facilitated by Anmol Bishnoi, based in Canada.

Further investigations uncovered the gang’s collaboration with other criminal outfits, notably with the organisation formerly led by gangster Anand Pal, now overseen by his daughter Chinu.

On April 14, when two bike-borne men opened fire outside Mr Khan’s residence in Mumbai’s Bandra. After the incident, police arrested four suspects: Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, who were apprehended in Gujarat, while Anuj Thapan and another individual were detained in Punjab on April 26. In total, six arrests have been made, although Anuj Thapan died in police custody.
 

Mumbai:

The Navi Mumbai Police have uncovered yet another plot to assassinate Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang had allegedly conspired to strike Mr Khan’s car in Maharashtra’s Panvel, armed with weapons sourced from a Pakistani arms supplier. 

The Navi Mumbai Police have registered an FIR and arrested four individuals linked to this conspiracy. This follows an incident on April 14, when two bike-borne men opened fire outside Mr Khan’s residence in Mumbai’s Bandra.

According to police sources, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, alongside his Canada-based cousin Anmol Bishnoi and associate Goldie Brar, had reportedly acquired AK-47s, M-16s, and other high-calibre weapons from a Pakistani arms dealer. The plan was to either ambush Mr Khan’s vehicle or attack his farmhouse.

After the firing incident outside Mr Khan’s Bandra residence, police arrested four suspects: Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal were apprehended in Gujarat, while Anuj Thapan and another individual were detained in Punjab on April 26. In total, six arrests have been made, although Anuj Thapan died in police custody.

The circumstances of Thapan’s death have drawn significant scrutiny. The Bombay High Court has expressed frustration over the “incomplete” autopsy report presented, saying that it lacked vital details, such as a “diagram of the ligature mark” found on Thapan’s neck and information on any other potential injuries.

Thapan’s mother, Rita Devi, filed a petition on May 3, alleging that her son was physically assaulted and tortured in police custody, leading to his death on May 1 in a Mumbai crime branch lock-up. While the police maintain that Thapan died by suicide, Ms Devi’s petition calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident.

Mumbai:

The two men arrested for allegedly opening fire outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s residence in Mumbai were not aware of the target until weapons and bullets were delivered to them at their rented house in Panvel, a police officer said on Wednesday, citing probe carried out so far.

The alleged shooters, Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta from Bihar, were arrested from Gujarat within 48 hours of the April 14 firing outside Khan’s home at the Galaxy Apartment in upscale Bandra. They are in judicial custody till May 27.

The Mumbai policeCrime Branch, during interrogation, found Pal and Gupta were given the task by Anmol Bishnoi, younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. But they had no idea they had to fire at Salman Khan’s residence till the arms were delivered, said the official.

According to the official, Pal was recruited in the Lawrence Bishnoi gang by one Ankit. Pal and Ankit used to play cricket together and they eventually became friends. Pal was later added to a WhatsApp group by Ankit.

After a few days, Ankit told Pal about an assignment for which the gang needed one more person. Gupta, the second shooter, was then added to the group.

Ankit told the two men to go to Mumbai to complete the task and promised a good amount of money in return. Both shooters were handled by a person on instructions of Anmol Bishnoi, who is based abroad, the official said.

Initially, they were given Rs 30,000 and asked to go to Mumbai in October last year and search for a rented house near Panvel on Mumbai’s outskirts, where Khan has a farmhouse, he said.

Pal and Gupta came to the city and stayed here for more than two months, during which they visited various places and went back to their village in Bihar when their money ran out, said the official.

In February, both were again contacted by the gang and given Rs 40,000 and asked to get a rented house for their stay. This time they came to Panvel, around 60 km from Mumbai, and took a house on rent in the Harigram area, he said.

After some days, they were asked to purchase a motorbike, for which money was deposited in their bank accounts, and some cash was also given to them, the official informed.

A few days before the delivery of weapons, they were asked to conduct a survey of the 58-year-old actor’s residence in Bandra and his farmhouse in Panvel. Two pistols and ‘live’ rounds were delivered to them on March 15 by two men, Sonu Bishnoi and Anuj Thapan, at their rented home, and it was at this point that they were told about the target, he said.

Vicky Gupta and Pal then spoke to Anmol Bishnoi.

While speaking to him, Vicky Gupta recorded the call and made an audio clip, which was sent to his brother Sonu Gupta, the official said.

The Mumbai police have recorded Sonu Gupta’s statement under Section 164 of the CrPC, he said.

The statement recorded under the section is admissible in trial, unlike the one given before police.
Both shooters were told by a gang member that they would get good money after completing the task.

Early on April 14, both went to Bandra on a motorbike and fired five rounds outside Khan’s residence and fled the city, according to the official.

The men were arrested by a Crime Branch team from Gujarat, while weapons supplier Anuj Thapan and Sonu Bishnoi were nabbed from Punjab. One more gang member, Mohmmed Rafique Chowdhary (37), who provided funds to the shooters, was caught from Rajasthan.

On instructions of Anmol Bishnoi, Chowdhary met the shooters on March 8 at Mumbai suburb of Kurla. Chowdhary told them Anmol Bishnoi had given him a “bigger job” than that assigned to the duos, the official said.

Chowdhary conducted recce of Khan’s residence several times. On April 12, two days before the firing, he recorded a video and clicked photos of the actor’s residence and sent them to another gang member, who later forwarded them to Anmol Bishnoi, he said.

The police were checking if Chowdhary recorded videos and clicked pictures of residences of more celebrities, the official said.

In all, five persons were arrested in connection with the shooting. One of them, Anuj Thapan, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a police lock-up in Mumbai on May 1.

Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Ahmedabad, and his younger brother Anmol, who is believed to be in the US or Canada, have been named as accused in the firing case.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

The Mumbai crime branch has arrested a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang from Rajasthan for allegedly providing financial help to the shooters involved in firing outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s house, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused, Mohammed Rafique Chowdhary (37), said in a meeting with shooters that Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, had given him a “bigger task” than them, the official said.

Chowdhary was arrested from Bansi village of Nagaur district in Rajasthan, he said.

Two motorcycle-borne persons opened fire outside Mr Khan’s residence at the Galaxy Apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra area on April 14 and fled the spot.

Chowdhary , the fifth person to be arrested in the firing case, was produced before a Mumbai court which sent him in police custody, the official said.

His name cropped up during the interrogation of the other accused persons and also during technical analysis of their mobile phones, he said.

Chowdhary’s family members stay in Mumbai and run a dairy business. Chowdhary, who has studied up to Class 12, was in direct contact with Anmol Bishnoi and another gang leader, Rohit Gadara, he said.

He used to work in the dairy business of his family in South Mumbai. However, during the pandemic, the dairy business shut down, following which he came into contact with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, the official said.

He was recruited into the gang by Anmol Bishnoi. After joining the gang, he used to remain mostly in his hometown, the official said.

When alleged shooters Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta came to Mumbai, Anmol Bishnoi instructed them to meet Chowdhary. The trio met at Kurla on April 8, a week before shooting outside Mr Khan’s house, the official said.

During the meeting, Chowdhary told the shooters to complete the task given to them and leave the metropolis.

Anmol Bishnoi told Chowdhary he had been given a “bigger task” than the shooters, he said.

The Mumbai police are now investigating what kind of task Chowdhary was assigned by Anmol Bishnoi, he said.

According to another official, Chowdhary has surveyed Mr Khan’s residence several times.

As Chowdhary was in direct contact with Anmol Bishnoi and Rohit Gudara, the crime branch suspects that the two gangsters are together, he said.

Earlier, Gudara was traced in the UK and he may be now with Anmol Bishnoi in the USA, he said.

Choudhary allegedly provided financial support to Pal and Gupta to purchase a motorcycle and rent a house, he said.

The shooters had received money from various persons connected with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, including Chowdhary, who had provided over Rs 1 lakh in cash for the purchase of a motorbike, renting a house in Panvel near Mumbai, and other expenses, said the official.

Chowdhary also received money from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, the official said.

One of the arrested persons, Anuj Thapan, who was accused of supplying weapons to the shooters, allegedly hanged himself in a police lock-up here on May 1.

Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, and his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi, who is believed to be in the US or Canada, have been named in the firing case.

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