Salman Khan Among Top 10 Targets On Lawrence Bishnoi's Hit List: Probe Agency

 Bollywood superstar Salman Khan topped the list of 10 main targets that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi planned to eliminate, the notorious criminal confessed to the National Investigation Agency, officials said.

Lawrence Bishnoi said that in the year 1998, Salman Khan hunted the black buck, which is considered sacred by the Bishnoi community and to avenge the hurt sentiments of the community the gangster said he wanted to kill the actor. Bishnoi confessed to the NIA in December last year that on acting on his directions his aide Sampat Nehra had conducted a recce of Salman Khan's Mumbai residence. Nehra was however arrested by the Special Task Force of the Harayana Police.

On April 11 this year, Salman Khan received another death threat call, Mumbai Police said, weeks after a man was taken into custody for sending a threat email to the 'Dabangg' actor.

Salman Khan has been provided with Y+ category security by the Mumbai police as the actor is perceived to be under threat. The Maharashtra State government took this step after the actor received a threat letter from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Bishnoi, who is currently serving time in the national capital's Tihar Jail also confessed that he had in the year 2021 procured two 'zigana' semi-automatic pistols from America through Goldie Brar for the infamous Gogi gang.

Members of the gang allegedly attacked and killed Tillu Tajpuriya inside his Tihar jail cell in April this year. Canada-based Brar who had claimed responsibility for the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab's Mansa district last year, also took responsibility for Tajpuriya's killing.

After Bishoni's confession to the NIA recorded in December last year, sleuths suspect that the guns given to the Gogoi gang by him could have been used in the sensational killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf. Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot dead while they were being taken to a hospital in Prayagraj on April 15 night amid police presence.

Mumbai Police also booked jailed gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldie Brar and Rohit Garg for allegedly sending threatening emails to actor Salman Khan's office. Bandra Police registered a case under sections 506(2),120(b) and 34 of IPC.

Meanwhile, Bishnoi in his confession said that apart from Salman Khan, he was also targeting Shagunpreet, the manager of the late Punjabi singer Sidhu MooseWala.

Bishnoi said that Shagunpreet was on his hit list as he managed the accounts of the late singer and had also sheltered Vicky Middukhera, a student leader in Punjab politics who supported Lawrence Bishnoi and was subsequently killed.

Canada-based Goldy Brar has previously allegedly claimed that singer Sidhu Moosewala was assassinated to avenge the killing of Vikramjit Singh.

Bishnoi further confessed to the NIA that one Vikas Singh a strongman from Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya had provided shelter to operatives and henchmen of his gang at the latter's hideout.

On April 18, Delhi's Patiala House Court granted seven days of custody of Bishnoi to the NIA in a terror funding to pro-Khalistani outfits-related case his advocate Vishal Chopra told ANI.

Lawrence Bishnoi, accused in the Siddhu Moosewala, murder case was arrested by the Punjab police last year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)