Accused traced via WhatsApp chat group
(From Left) Zeeshan Khan, Vaspi Khan, Gaurav Bhatia and Dhananjay Singh
A significant breakthrough occurred in the Salman Khan firing case, via a WhatsApp group that was formed by the accused on social media. Tracing this chat group seems to have helped the police trace and apprehend another four suspected to have planned the firing at Khan’s Panvel farmhouse. So far, the arrests were made by the Panvel police who suspect around 21 more to be involved in the conspiracy.
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The police are actively searching for the 17 other suspects who are currently absconding. The investigation into this crime is ongoing. The police said the arrested accused are identified as Dhananjay Singh, Tapesingh alias Ajay Kashyap, Gaurav Bhatia alias Nahayi, Vaspi Khan alias Wasim Chikna and Zeeshan Khan alias Javed Khan. The police said that the arrested four are in touch with the primary accused, Lawrence Bishnoi and Anmol Bishnoi.
The investigation revealed that the arrested individuals had been surveying the area where Salman Khan lives in Bandra, as well as his farmhouse in the outskirts of Panvel as well as Goregaon under the directions of the primary accused.
Vivek Pansare, Deputy commissioner of police, Panvel Division said, “In October 2023, Nitin Thackeray, senior police inspector, Panvel city police station received information about some youngsters who had come to Panvel and seemed to be doing a recce of the farmhouse and tracking the different routes Khan would take to travel,” said Pansare. Police’s discovery of the WhatsApp group via an informant had given them an insight into how the group coordinated and planned the attack. “There was a person from the group with who we were in touch and was updating us with the logistics of the conspiracy, promptly,” said a police officer.
Taking a serious note of the conspiracy, the Panvel City police station has registered a case involving a conspiracy to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan under Sections 115, 120(B), and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Pakistan Connection
The Panvel police are also examining a Pakistani connection as one of the accused had made a video call to Pakistan, where he was discussing purchasing weapons including an AK-47. “The caller who made the video call to Pakistan got disconnected as the phone ran out of battery. But not before sharing a picture of weapons,” said the police. “There are different groups involved, but the person being reported to is the same.”
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