October 17, 2024: A chilling plot to assassinate Bollywood superstar Salman Khan near his Panvel farmhouse has come to light, according to a chargesheet filed by the Navi Mumbai Police on Thursday. The chargesheet reveals that a contract worth ₹25 lakh was placed on the actor’s life by a gang led by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Also Read: Salman Khan’s Security Tightened Outside Residence After Baba Siddique’s Killing
The chargesheet names five individuals involved in the conspiracy. According to police, the gang was preparing to purchase advanced weaponry from Pakistan, including AK-47s, AK-92s, and M-16 rifles, along with a Turkish-made Zigana pistol, the same type of weapon used in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. The accused reportedly recruited boys under the age of 18 to carry out the assassination, with these recruits hiding in various locations across Pune, Raigad, Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Gujarat.
The gang had 60 to 70 individuals tracking Salman Khan’s movements, particularly around his Bandra home, Panvel farmhouse, and Goregaon Film City. According to the chargesheet, the plot to murder the actor was hatched between August 2023 and April 2024.
The investigation revealed that Sukkha, a key member of the gang who was arrested in Panipat, Haryana, on Thursday, assigned the hit to designated shooter Ajay Kashyap, also known as AK, and four other conspirators. During a recce, Kashyap and his team determined that due to Salman Khan’s heavy security detail and bulletproof vehicles, high-end weapons would be necessary to execute the assassination.
In a further shocking revelation, Sukkha was found to have contacted a Pakistan-based arms dealer named Dogar via video call. During the call, Dogar displayed the advanced firearms, including AK-47s, wrapped in a shawl. Sukkha agreed to make a 50 percent advance payment for the weapons, with the remaining sum to be paid upon delivery in India.
The police investigation also uncovered that the shooters were waiting for a green light from Canada-based gangster Goldie Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother, Anmol Bishnoi, before moving forward with the plan. The conspiracy detailed a post-assassination escape route, with plans for the killers to gather in Kanyakumari before fleeing to Sri Lanka by boat and eventually to a country beyond the reach of Indian authorities.
This assassination plot came to light during an investigation into a firing incident outside Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra. In response to the increased threat level, security has been ramped up around Khan’s Bandra home following the killing of former minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique, who was shot near Nirmal Nagar in Bandra. Siddique, a former MLA and leader within Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was gunned down recently, heightening concerns about gang-related violence in the area.
