Accused in Salman Khan House Firing Case Claims Influence by Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi; Incident Linked to Blackbuck Poaching Case, with Allegations of Intimidation Rather Than Harm; Court Hearing Bail Plea Filed Under MCOCA Act; Superstar Expresses Concern for Family’s Safety During Attack.
Over three months ago, India was jolted by the news of gunshots fired at Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s Bandra residence in Mumbai on April 14. Salman Khan has since claimed that the shooting was orchestrated by the gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang. In a recent development, one of the accused has claimed influence by Bishnoi.
Vicky Gupta, one of the accused, filed a bail plea before a special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in Mumbai on Monday. According to PTI, Gupta stated in his plea that he was inspired by the “principles” of Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently incarcerated in Sabarmati jail and has been accused of masterminding the attack.
Gupta alleged that Bishnoi has been wrongly implicated and had no involvement in the shooting. He asserted that the gunshots were meant to intimidate Salman Khan over his 1998 blackbuck poaching case and that he never received any direct orders from Bishnoi.
Gupta, who hails from a remote village in Bihar and lost his job in Tamil Nadu during the COVID-19 pandemic, claimed he was in debt and desperate. He contacted co-accused Sagar Pal and stated that his financial struggles “compelled” him to commit the crime, insisting there was no intention to harm Khan.
The bail plea, filed through lawyers Amit Mishra and Pankaj Ghildiyal, mentioned that Gupta was influenced by Lawrence Bishnoi’s social media presence and was “magnetically attached” to Bishnoi’s principles, describing him as an ardent follower of Bhagat Singh.
Gupta stated that Sagar Pal had invited him to Mumbai for an “auspicious religious mission.” Desperate for money to support his family, Gupta traveled to the city, unaware of the planned incident until April 13.
In July, the Mumbai Crime Branch filed a 1,735-page chargesheet, accessed by India Today, detailing Salman Khan’s statement about the firing. Khan recounted hearing cracker-like sounds when two gunmen fired shots at his Galaxy Apartment in Bandra. He confirmed the incident through his guards the following morning and implicated Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang in the attack, expressing concern for his family, who were asleep during the shooting. Khan stated that the shooters aimed to kill him and his family.
Both accused were arrested in Gujarat for their alleged involvement in the shooting at Salman Khan’s residence.
On the professional front, Salman Khan is gearing up for his upcoming film “Sikandar,” directed by AR Murgadoss and set for release on Eid 2025, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. He was last seen in “Tiger 3.”
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