Accused in Salman Khan threat case says he has no regrets, going to jail for Bishnoi community

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The man arrested for allegedly sending a threatening message and demanding a ransom of Rs 5 crore from Bollywood actor Salman Khan, while claiming to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, has stated that he has no regrets about going to jail for the Bishnoi community.

According to Mumbai police, Bhika Ram Bishnoi, who was apprehended in Karnataka in connection with the case, said that he had no regrets and that he was prepared to face jail time for the benefit of the Bishnoi community.

During his interrogation by Worli police, the accused mentioned that Lawrence Bishnoi was his idol. He further revealed that the Rs 5 crore he demanded from Salman Khan was intended to fund the construction of a temple for the Bishnoi community. As per ANI, the investigation by the Worli police has uncovered that Bhika Ram Bishnoi regularly watched videos of Lawrence Bishnoi and admired what the gangster was doing for the community while incarcerated.

The accused also spoke about Salman Khan's alleged past actions, stating that the actor had never apologised for his involvement in the hit-and-run case or the illegal hunting of blackbuck. According to ANI, Bhika Ram Bishnoi expressed that he believed Lawrence Bishnoi's actions were justified and that he was willing to face jail time for the cause.

The 32-year-old man, hailing from Rajasthan, was arrested in Karnataka and subsequently handed over to Maharashtra Police on Wednesday, officials confirmed.

Earlier this week, on Monday, the Mumbai Police Traffic Control room received a threatening message via WhatsApp, allegedly sent in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The message stated that Salman Khan had to either visit their temple and apologise or pay a ransom of Rs 5 crore if he wished to stay alive. The sender further warned that if the demands were not met, Salman Khan's life would be at risk, and the gang would remain active. This was the second death threat Salman Khan had received in a week.

In the previous threat, a ransom of Rs 2 crore had been demanded. Police further stated that the sender had threatened severe consequences for Salman Khan if the money was not paid.

As per ANI, the Traffic Police alerted Worli Police, who then registered a case and began tracking the sender. Following this, a case was officially registered against the unknown individual at the Worli Police Station in Mumbai.

Earlier, on October 24, Mumbai Police had arrested a man from Jamshedpur who had also threatened Salman Khan in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore. According to Mumbai Police, they had launched an investigation after the Traffic Police received a threatening message.

On October 21, the same sender who had threatened Salman Khan on October 18 sent an apology, claiming the message had been "sent by mistake."

This series of events follows the recent murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, which occurred on October 12 near his son's office in Mumbai, highlighting the ongoing tension and criminal activities in the region. According to ANI, the police continue to investigate the matter.

(With inputs from ANI)