MUMBAI: Security outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence, Galaxy Apartments, has been increased following death threats allegedly hurled by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The gang reportedly warned of targeting those who support Salman Khan.
The threat came shortly after the gang claimed responsibility for the murder of Baba Siddique, a former three-time Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) and ex-Congress member. Siddique, who had recently switched to Sharad Pawar’s party, was shot dead near his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East on Saturday night, according to NDTV.
On Sunday, a Facebook post by an account linked to Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar, an alleged associate of the Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for the killing. The post alleged that Siddique was targeted due to his ties with India’s most-wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim and his closeness to Salman Khan.
Lonkar also referenced the death of Anuj Thapan, one of the suspects arrested in connection with a shooting incident outside Khan’s residence in April. Thapan was found dead in police custody on May 1, with authorities ruling it a suicide. His family, however, alleged that he had been tortured.
“We have no personal enmity with anyone, but those who support Salman Khan and the Dawood gang should settle their accounts (‘hisab-kitaab kar lena’),” the post read. Police are currently verifying the authenticity of the post.
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Siddique, known for hosting high-profile events, had been close to several celebrities, including Salman Khan. The long-standing cold war between Khan and fellow actor Shah Rukh Khan was notably resolved at Siddique’s 2013 iftar party.
Authorities have said that at least two celebrities have been targeted by the Bishnoi gang over their perceived association with Salman Khan in the past year. Khan visited Siddique at the hospital following the attack and later visited his family on Sunday.
The Bishnoi gang, which gained national attention after taking responsibility for the 2022 killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, has repeatedly expressed a desire to harm Salman Khan. The motive is linked to Khan’s alleged involvement in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case near Jodhpur, during the filming of “Hum Saath Saath Hain”. The Bishnoi community, which considers the blackbuck sacred, was deeply angered by the incident.
In 2018, during a court appearance, Lawrence Bishnoi declared, “We will kill Salman Khan in Jodhpur. The world will know when we take action. I am being falsely accused of crimes for no reason.”