More than a month after two accused fired shots outside the Bandra residence of actor Salman Khan, the Navi Mumbai police have revealed another planned attempt on the actor’s life. This new threat was to occur while Khan was traveling to his Panvel farmhouse. Four individuals were arrested in connection with this plot last week, PTI reported.
Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is believed to be involved in both the shooting incident outside Salman Khan’s Bandra residence and the recently uncovered plot on his life en route to his Panvel farmhouse. Khan has been a target of the Bishnoi gang since he shot a blackbuck during a movie shoot in Rajasthan in 1998, leading to continuous threats against him. The police suspect that these actions are part of Bishnoi’s strategy to establish a presence in Mumbai and initiate extortion operations in the city.
According to the police, nearly 16-17 individuals were involved in the Navi Mumbai operation targeting Salman Khan, PTI reported. These individuals conducted a reconnaissance mission in Panvel in February of this year to gather information and plan their attempt on Khan’s life.
The individuals arrested by the Navi Mumbai Police in connection with the plot against Salman Khan have been identified as Dhananjay Tapesingh alias Ajay Kashyap, Gaurav Bhatia alias Nahvi, Vapsi Khan alias Waseem Chikna, and Rizwan Khan.
According to the FIR, Panvel Senior Inspector Nitin Thakre received a tip-off about members of the Bishnoi gang camping in Panvel to conduct reconnaissance for an attack on Salman Khan. The police revealed that Dhananjay Tapesingh alias Ajay Kashyap was in contact with a Pakistan-based individual identified as Dogar to procure AK-47s for the planned attack. Following the attack, the accused intended to go underground and regroup in Kanyakumari before fleeing to Sri Lanka.
An officer stated that the police are questioning the four arrested suspects to determine if they have any connections to the Bandra shooting incident. In relation to the Bandra attack, the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested six suspects.