Bollywood actor Salman Khan received a threatening message last week, demanding Rs 5 crore to settle the long-standing feud with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Days after the initial threat, sent to the WhatsApp number of Mumbai Traffic Police's control room, the sender has now apologised, stating that the message was sent by mistake.
In the first message, the sender had claimed to be associated with the Bishnoi gang and demanded Rs 5 crore to mediate a truce between Salman Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi, who have had a long-standing feud. The message warned that if the money was not paid, Salman Khan would face a fate worse than that of politician Baba Siddique, who was shot dead by assailants earlier this month.
A few days after the threat, the Mumbai Traffic Police received another message from the same number. In this follow-up message, the person expressed regret, claiming that the threatening message was sent unintentionally and apologised for the mistake.
Police have traced the location of the individual to Jharkhand, and a team has been dispatched to the area to apprehend the person responsible.
In recent months, Salman Khan has been repeatedly targeted with threats from the Bishnoi gang. Back in April, two gunmen fired five shots near the actor’s Bandra home.
The root of the conflict traces back to a 1998 incident in which Salman allegedly hunted and killed two blackbucks, a species considered sacred by the Bishnoi community. While the case remains in court, Lawrence Bishnoi has vowed to seek revenge on the actor.
In response to these escalating threats, Salman has been provided Y+ security, and there is a strong police presence outside his residence, Galaxy Apartments. Additionally, Mumbai Police have installed AI-powered, high-resolution CCTV cameras with facial recognition technology to enhance security.
