By MUMBAI: Two individuals linked to the infamous Bishnoi criminal gang have been apprehended for their involvement in shooting at the residence of Bollywood icon Salman Khan. The incident, which occurred during the early hours of Sunday, is believed to be a retaliatory strike against Khan for his controversial killing of two blackbucks over two decades ago.
The Bishnoi gang, notorious for its alleged involvement in multiple murders and extortion activities, originates from a broader desert-dwelling religious sect that venerates the blackbuck as the reincarnation of their spiritual leader.
Salman Khan, 58, has been a target of the Bishnoi community’s ire since 1998 when he shot two blackbucks during a recreational hunting excursion. The gang’s incarcerated leader, Lawrence Bishnoi, had previously issued threats against Khan, including the possibility of assassination.
The assailants, riding a motorbike, targeted Khan’s first-floor apartment located in the upscale Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai. They discharged several rounds of gunfire before fleeing the scene. Despite the heightened security measures typically surrounding Khan due to persistent threats on his life, he was present at home during the attack.
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Law enforcement authorities successfully arrested the two suspects, aged 24 and 21, on Tuesday in the western state of Gujarat. Mahendra Bagaria, a police officer in Kutch district, reported that the suspects were apprehended near a temple following a coordinated operation.
The Bishnoi community has pursued legal action against Khan for the blackbuck incident for two decades. In 2018, a local court sentenced Khan to five years in prison for violating the Wildlife Protection Act. However, his sentence was suspended pending appeal, prompting Lawrence Bishnoi to issue further warnings of retaliatory action by the gang.
Lawrence Bishnoi has been implicated in numerous criminal activities, including the alleged orchestrating of several murders, notably the killing of popular Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, with nearly 150 films and television shows to his credit since the 1980s, continues to be a prominent and commercially successful personality in the industry. However, his personal life has been marred by controversies, including a 2002 hit-and-run incident where he was accused of running over five individuals sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai, resulting in one fatality. Despite being initially acquitted, the case has remained contentious, with ongoing legal proceedings.
