Bollywood actor, mogul and tycoon, Salman Khan, has been no stranger to controversy. Recently, those past controversies seem to be making headlines again. Upon the shocking assasination of Punjabi rapper and singer, Sidhu Moosewala – which shook Indian American diaspora around the world – actor Salman Khan was forced to beef up his personal security detail for preventative measures.
According to Pinkvilla, a sudden preventative measure was taken after gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s name emerged as the key suspect accused in Moose Wala’s murder. A senior police official told the publication that Mumbai police have enhanced the overall security of the Bollywood actor to ensure he’s safe from any harmful intentions of the Bishnoi gang, which operates from Rajasthan.
Salman Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi History
Khan has been on Bishnoi’s radar after the infamous blackbuck poaching case during the shoot of his 1999 blockbuster Hum Saath Saath Hain. Bishnoi and his community consider the blackbuck to be a sacred animal and Khan’s involvement in poaching had hurt the community’s sentiments.
In 2018, Bishnoi went so far as to threaten Khan that he’ll kill him. Rahul alias Sunni, one of Bishnoi’s close associates who was arrested in 2020 for murder, said that they had not only hatched a plan to kill Khan but had even visited Mumbai to conduct a recce for the murder.
Khan’s security was beefed up upon the discovery of a letter was sent to him and his father, Salim Khan, on June 5, according to news outlet ANI. According to the police, Salim Khan found the letter on a bench where he sits daily after jogging in the morning. He found the letter at around 7.30 am-8.00 am. The unsigned letter mentioned a threat to kill Salim and Salman Khan.
Later, with the help of his security personnel, Salim Khan contacted the police and an FIR was registered under section 506-II (Criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Bandra police station. A criminal probe is currently underway.