AK-47 from Pak, and more: When police busted the plot to kill Salman Khan

The plot to kill Bollywood star Salman Khan, masterminded by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, involved a well-coordinated network of operatives and a cache of high-powered weaponry

Mumbai Police has unearthed a sinister plot to assassinate Bollywood actor Salman Khan, orchestrated by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Armed with AK-47 and M-16 rifles allegedly procured from a Pakistani arms supplier, the gang devised an elaborate plan to target Khan’s vehicle in Maharashtra’s Panvel.

The plot, masterminded by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, involved a well-coordinated network of operatives and a cache of high-powered weaponry. Sources within the Navi Mumbai police department told NDTV that the gang enlisted the help of 60 to 70 individuals, each assigned specific roles crucial to the execution of the plot.

Central to their strategy was the use of minors as sharpshooters, with the intent to ambush the actor’s vehicle in Panvel or target his secluded farmhouse.

Among those apprehended in connection to 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 in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, his cousin Anmol Bishnoi, and associate Goldie Brar were allegedly involved in facilitating the acquisition of the lethal arsenal from the Pakistani dealer known only as Dogar.

Gang’s secret meetings

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.

Their activities extended across state lines and international borders, with Kashyap’s trail leading to illicit arms caches in Kashmir, Ganganagar, and even along the Pakistan border.

Revealing assassination plot
 

Intercepted communications between Kashyap and Bishnoi revealed frequent discussions regarding arms exchanges and coordination via WhatsApp calls.

Additionally, following Khan’s intended assassination, Bishnoi and Goldie Brar purportedly arranged to generously reward the assailants, with funds allegedly transferred from Canada.

The gang reportedly planned to employ modern weaponry, including AK-47s, M16s, and AK-92s, akin to those used in the assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Demonstrations of such 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.

 

Gang collaboration unveiled

Further investigations unveiled the gang’s collaboration with other criminal syndicates, notably with the faction formerly led by gangster Anand Pal, now under the purview 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. After the incident, police apprehended four suspects: Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal in Gujarat, while Anuj Thapan and another individual were detained in Punjab on April 26. In total, six arrests have been made, though Anuj Thapan died while in police custody.