Salman Khan house firing: Mumbai Police probe possible links of Bishnoi gang, anti-national elements outside India

Salman Khan (L) and Mumbai Police officials outside his house after firing incident. File Pic

In their investigation into the Salman Khan house firing incident, Mumbai police are looking into possible links between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and anti-national elements outside India.

On April 14, two people fired four rounds outside Khan's home in Mumbai's Bandra district. The police quickly caught both shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, in Gujarat, as well as two gun suppliers, Sonu Kumar Chander Bishnoi and Anuj Thapan, in Punjab, reported PTI.

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According to the PTI report, during a court hearing on Monday, the sessions judge remanded Gupta, Pal, and Thapan in police detention until May 8.

Lawrence Bishnoi, who is presently arrested at Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Central Prison, and his brother Anmol, who is believed to be in the United States or Canada, are the primary suspects in Salman Khan house firing incident. Anmol claimed credit for the shooting in a Facebook post, however, the IP address was tracked to Portugal.

Given the Bishnoi gang's international reach, detectives are looking into whether it received aid from anti-national groups outside India, maybe through the transfer of weapons or finances, according to police papers.

Additionally, investigators are looking into the origins of the weapons used by the alleged gunmen in the Salman Khan house firing incident.

Investigators suspect that the Bishnoi gang aimed to instil fear in Mumbai, the country's financial hub, and are looking into whether the gang members attempted extortion from businesspersons, actors, or builders in the city.

Mumbai Police delay enables Gujarat Police to capture shooters

In a twist of events, the Mumbai police's delay in apprehending the shooters involved in Salman Khan house firing incident led to their capture by the Gujarat police, stated another mid-day report.

According to the report, following the Salman Khan house firing incident, Mumbai officers tracked the shooters' movements, while a Crime Branch team from Kutch was mobilised. However, the Sahar police team, stationed closest to the shooters, wasted precious time during lunch and refuelling, prompting the intervention of the Crime Branch team.

The shooters, identified as Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, fired shots at Khan's residence before fleeing on a bike. Mumbai police, aided by CCTV footage and cyber investigations, traced the shooters to Surat, where they allegedly contacted gangster Anmol Bishnoi.

While the Sahar police team lagged due to lunch and refuelling delays, the Crime Branch Unit 9 team swiftly flew to Bhuj, hiring a BMW to hasten their pursuit. Upon receiving crucial information about the shooters' whereabouts, they reached Bhuj Airport and proceeded to the 'Mata No Madh' temple, where the shooters were resting.

Concerned that the shooters might attempt to cross the border, the Crime Branch alerted the local Kutch police, leading to the successful capture of the accused inside the temple. By the time the Sahar police team arrived, the shooters were already in custody, the mid-day report added.