Target Salman Khan: How Lawrence Bishnoi tried to terrorize the actor

When Salman Khan, Bollywood’s enfant terrible, found himself in the dock for the alleged murder of a blackbuck while filming in Rajasthan in 1998, little did he know that legal troubles would be the least of his worries. The dead blackbuck would become the catalyst for feared gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s years-long vendetta against the actor.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, already infamous for the murders of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala and Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, has been credited with the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique on Sunday. The veteran politician was known for his annual iftar parties where Salman Khan was a regular presence due to their friendship.

Hours later, the notorious gang led by arrested gangster Lawrence Bishnoi confessed to Siddique’s murder in a social media post and at the same time sounded a warning shot to Salman Khan.

The murder marks the biggest coup orchestrated by Bishnoi, who has waged a relentless campaign of intimidation, harassment and threats against Khan.

WHY LAWRENCE BISHNOI SWROWED REVENGE ON SALMAN KHAN

Lawrence Bishnoi, a notorious gangster with deep links to organized crime in India and abroad, first gained public attention due to his vow of revenge against Salman Khan.

A member of the Bishnoi community – a sect that considers the blackbuck a sacred animal – Lawrence Bishnoi was furious when the actor was convicted in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The actor was accused of hunting and killing two blackbucks during filming Hum Saath Saath Hain in Rajasthan.

Although Khan was eventually granted bail in the case, Bishnoi, who was just five years old at the time of the incident, made it his mission to target the Bollywood star, seeking to establish a name for himself.

THREAT LETTERS AND INCREASED VIOLENCE

Bishnoi’s threats to Salman Khan began in 2018 when the gangster was arrested and taken to court. While in police custody, Bishnoi declared, “Salman Khan will be killed here in Jodhpur… Then he will know about our true identity.” At the time, the threats seemed like bravado from an attention-seeking criminal.

However, the threats became much more real in 2021 when Khan’s father, Salim Khan, discovered a threatening letter during his morning walk near the star’s Mumbai home. The note, left on a bench where Salim Khan regularly rested, warned that both father and son would be killed. The letter said: “Tumhara Moose Wala kar denge (you will end up like Moose Wala)”, alluding to the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, who was shot dead earlier that year by members of the Bishnoi gang.

In March 2023, an email threatening Khan and his family was received by one of his team members, leading to the registration of a case at the Bandra police station.

On April 14, 2024, the rivalry took a violent turn. Shots were fired outside Khan’s house in Bandra, Mumbai. Two individuals on a motorcycle fired several shots into the balcony of Khan’s first-floor apartment before fleeing. Khan, who was woken up by the sound he initially mistook for fireworks, later stated that he believed the attack was orchestrated by the Bishnoi gang to kill him and his family.

Although no one was injured, the shooting sent a clear message: Bishnoi and his henchmen were willing to move from threats to action.

The Bishnoi gang also had a plan to rob Khan’s car and kill him near his sprawling farmhouse in Panvel, on the outskirts of Mumbai. Mumbai Police foiled the plot and arrested four Bishnoi gang shooters in May and recovered AK-47 rifles from them.

The gang’s actions were not limited to India; Warning shots were fired outside Punjabi singer AP Dhillon’s home in Canada in September this year, shortly after he filmed a music video with Salman Khan.

Later that same month, the actor’s father, Salim Khan, received a new threat. According to sources, when Salim Khan went for a morning walk near his home in Bandra, a man and a woman dressed in burqa, on a scooter, approached him and issued a threat citing the name of arrested gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

“Should I call Lawrence Bishnoi?” the burqa-clad woman said to Salim Khan as he sat on a bench.

LAWRENCE BISHNOI GANG’S GREATEST SUCCESS

Baba Siddique’s murder marks the most serious escalation in Bishnoi’s campaign against Salman Khan and those close to him.

The incident, which took place on Saturday night in Mumbai, saw Siddique shot dead by assailants outside his office in Bandra. The social media post claiming responsibility for Siddique’s murder also warned that anyone who helped Khan would face similar consequences.

Security measures around Khan’s residence and other potential targets were tightened following the assassination. The actor currently enjoys Y+ security.

With the murder of Baba Siddique, it is clear that the stakes have increased. How long this rivalry will last is anyone’s guess, but for now, Salman Khan remains firmly in Lawrence Bishnoi’s sights.