Explainer: Why infamous gangsters consider Salman Khan to be a prime target

Following the gunfire outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan Mumbai flat on Sunday, there are now rumors circulating that mobster Vishal Rahul was one of the attackers. Vishal reportedly has connections to organized crime in the area and is well-known to law authorities.

India Today claimed that Vishal’s identity was ascertained with the use of local CCTV video. The magazine cites sources stating that Vishal is a “wanted gangster” from the Indian state of Haryana, specifically from the region of Gurugram. Vishal has been connected to the renowned Lawrence Bishnoi gang through his buddy, mobster Rohit Godara. The group had earlier threatened Salman with a similar outcome and had taken credit for the May 2022 murder of well-known Punjabi musician Sidhu Moosewala.

A publicity stunt or the fury of a hardened gangster?

According to reports in Indian media, Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of mobster Lawrence, who is incarcerated in a Tihar jail, claimed responsibility for the most recent gunshot outside Salman’s flat a few hours after the early Sunday morning shooting. Anmol issued a warning on social media, saying that Salman will be shot the next time and that the current shooting was “just a trailer.”

The Bollywood actor has not yet issued a remark, but according to Economic Times, Salman’s father Salim has handled the incident calmly and has written off the threats as a marketing gimmick. Salim said, “There is nothing to tell.” “There’s no need to worry, they just want publicity.” But since Salman is no new to drawing the attention of violent gangs, it has been alleged that he has purchased a bulletproof car and obtained a weapons license for personal protection in case there are any more assaults.

History of threats

Since the event, the area around the actor’s home has seen increased protection. The actor from Tiger has, however, already encountered the fury of shooters. As to Pinkvilla’s report, Salman’s manager received a threat-filled email in March 2023. The email, which was sent from a Mohit Garg account, had threats from mobster Lawrence, who was detained at the time at a Tihar jail. The email continued by requesting that Salman set up a meeting with Goldy Brar, a Canadian-based associate of Lawrence. An FIR was then filed against Mohit, Goldy, and Lawrence.

The article also stated that Salman received a second threat in April 2023, this time from a guy in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, who was a representative of a cow protection organization. An man posing as Rocky Bhai called Mumbai police on April 30 and threatened to assault the star directly. Following an inquiry, a 16-year-old man from Thane was taken into custody in relation to the crime.

The adored Bollywood actor has also been the target of threats since 2022. Father Salim found a threatening note addressed to his son in June of that year at Bandra Bandstand, where he frequently walks. The letter threatened that Salman would meet a similar end and made reference to the murder of well-known Punjabi musician Sidhu Moosewala, who had been assassinated in May of the same year.

Although not verified by Mumbai police, an independent Punjab police inquiry disclosed that when the letter was received, Salman was being watched by two people who had been renting a room close by and monitoring his Panvel property for a month. The same group has threatened Salman in the past for offending religious feelings in 2018.

The event that set everything in motion

There is documentation indicating that threats against Salman date back to 1998, when the actor was associated with the murder of a blackbuck while filming Hum Saath Saath Hain in Rajasthan. The movie was released in 1999. Blackbucks are highly prized in the Bishnoi culture, therefore the actor almost immediately faced unwelcome gangster attention.

However, law enforcement organizations that have looked into organized crime have stated that gangs are known to target high-profile persons and frequently make threats in order to obtain notoriety and “force victims into paying protection fees.” This assertion is similar to Salim Khan recent comment.

Salman is still a highly respected public personality in Indian film, even in the face of the persistent reach of organized crime in the area and despite several threats over the years. The actor, who was most recently seen in Tiger 3, which came out in November 2023, has stated that his next film, Sikandar, will be released on Eid 2025 of the following year