GUWAHATI: In a major breakthrough, Mumbai Police have uncovered a plot to assassinate Bollywood actor Salman Khan, orchestrated by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The gang had armed themselves with AK-47 and M-16 rifles, allegedly sourced from a Pakistani arms supplier, and planned to target Khan’s vehicle in Maharashtra’s Panvel.
The conspiracy, masterminded by the Bishnoi gang, involved a coordinated network of operatives equipped with high-powered weaponry. According to Navi Mumbai police, the gang enlisted 60 to 70 individuals, each assigned specific roles essential to the plan's execution.
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Central to their strategy was the use of minors as sharpshooters, intended to ambush Khan’s vehicle in Panvel or target his secluded farmhouse.
Among those apprehended in connection with the case are Dhananjay Tapesingh alias Ajay Kashyap, Gaurav Bhatia alias Nahvi, Vapsi Khan alias Waseem Chikna, and Rizwan Khan, all believed to have played key roles in the conspiracy. Lawrence Bishnoi, currently incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, his cousin Anmol Bishnoi, and associate Goldie Brar were allegedly involved in acquiring the lethal arsenal from a Pakistani dealer known only as Dogar.
Kashyap, a prominent figure within the Bishnoi gang, resided in Navi Mumbai’s Kalamboli and maintained contact with an individual identified as Sukha Shooter, whose profile picture bore Bishnoi’s likeness. Secret meetings between Kashyap and his cohorts took place in strategic locations such as the Panvel bus stand and railway station, where plans, including surveillance of Salman Khan’s properties, were meticulously laid out.
The gang's activities spanned state lines and international borders, with Kashyap’s trail leading to illicit arms caches in Kashmir, Ganganagar, and even along the Pakistan border. Intercepted communications between Kashyap and Bishnoi revealed frequent discussions about arms exchanges and coordination via WhatsApp calls.
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Following Khan’s intended assassination, Bishnoi and Goldie Brar had allegedly arranged substantial rewards for the assailants, with funds purportedly transferred from Canada. The gang planned to use modern weaponry, including AK-47s, M16s, and AK-92s, similar to those used in the assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Demonstrations of these arms were allegedly conducted via WhatsApp video calls.
After carrying out the attack, assailants were instructed to flee to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, where they would be transported by sea to Sri Lanka. Subsequent arrangements for their safe passage to a third country were purportedly facilitated by Anmol Bishnoi, residing in Canada.
Further investigations revealed the gang’s collaboration with other criminal syndicates, notably with a faction formerly led by gangster Anand Pal, now under the leadership of his daughter Chinu.
The plot took a dramatic turn on April 14, when two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire outside Salman Khan’s Bandra residence in Mumbai. Following the incident, police apprehended four suspects: Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal in Gujarat, Anuj Thapan and another individual in Punjab on April 26. In total, six arrests have been made, though Anuj Thapan died while in police custody.
Khan has been a target of the Bishnoi gang since the 1998 Blackbuck shooting incident in Rajasthan, with ongoing threats directed at him.