'Causing harm or taking his life': Why did Bishnoi gang target ...

Initial evidence and preliminary investigations, as per the PTI report,  suggest that Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) were allegedly contracted by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to execute the shooting.

The arrested suspects said that Lawrence Bishnoi wanted to retaliate against Salman Khan for his involvement in the Blackbuck poaching case.

The Bishnois of Jodhpur hold the blackbuck in high reverence, considering it the reincarnation of their spiritual leader, Guru Bhagwan Jambeshwar, also known as Jambaji. Former MP and representative of Bishnoi Samaj Jaswant Singh Bishnoi previously emphasized, “Deer is our identity, and it is necessary for them to survive."

Since 1998, Salman Khan, aged 58, has been targeted by this group due to allegations of hunting and killing two blackbucks in Rajasthan's Kankani during the filming of the movie "Hum Saath Saath Hain." He was charged under section 9/51 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Also Read: Salman Khan house firing: 'Assailants did recce thrice' — What Mumbai police found during probe

The Bishnoi community, revering the blackbuck as sacred, took offense to Salman Khan's actions. In a court appearance in 2018, Lawrence Bishnoi allegedly threatened to kill Khan, claiming that his actions had brought disgrace to their community.

This isn't the first instance of Lawrence Bishnoi issuing threats of assassination against Khan. In July 2022, Bishnoi allegedly dispatched gangster Sampat Nehra, a member of the Bishnoi gang, to Mumbai for ‘recce’ around Salman Khan's residence. Bishnoi explained during questioning that Nehra "lacked a suitable rifle for targeting from a distance," thus thwarting the assassination plan.

Also Read: 'Can't forgive Salman Khan for killing blackbuck': Sidhu Moosewala killer Lawrence Bishnoi

Pertinently, Bishnoi's younger brother, Anmol Bishnoi, has claimed responsibility for the attack at Salman Khan's residence in a Facebook post.

Meanwhile, Mumbai's Joint Commissioner of Police, Lakhmi Gautam, stated, “The accused persons carried out a recce around Khan's house three times before the firing incident." 

(With inputs from agencies)

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Published: 19 Apr 2024, 11:24 AM IST