-, Oct 17, 2024, India Blooms News Service
Mumbai: A Rs 25 lakh contract was issued to kill actor Salman Khan near his farmhouse in Maharashtras Panvel, according to a chargesheet filed by the Navi Mumbai Police, media reports said.
The chargesheet, which names five people, indicates that the contract was given by a gang led by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, reported NDTV.
According to the chargesheet, the accused were planning to acquire advanced weapons, including AK-47, AK-92, M-16 rifles from Pakistan, and the Turkish-made Zigana pistol, the same weapon used in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, the report said.
The gang had hired minors, all under 18, to carry out the assassination, with the hired individuals hiding in various locations such as Pune, Raigad, Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Gujarat, the report added.
Around 60 to 70 people were reportedly monitoring Salman Khans movements, particularly at his Bandra residence, Panvel farmhouse, and Goregaon Film City.
The chargesheet further reveals that the plan to kill the actor was devised between August 2023 and April 2024, the report said.
During the investigation, it was found that Sukkha, arrested from Panipat in Haryana, had assigned the task to designated shooter Ajay Kashyap, also known as AK, along with four other conspirators.
After conducting reconnaissance, Kashyap and his team concluded that due to Salman Khans tight security and the use of bulletproof vehicles, high-end weapons would be needed to carry out the attack.
Sukkha contacted Dogar, a Pakistan-based arms dealer, via video call. During the call, he displayed advanced firearms, including AK-47 rifles, wrapped in a shawl while negotiating the terms of the deal, the report said.
Dogar agreed to supply the weapons, with Sukkha committing to pay 50 percent in advance and the remaining amount upon delivery in India, according to the report.
The chargesheet also uncovered that all the shooters were awaiting final approval from Canada-based gangster Goldie Brar and Lawrence Bishnois brother, Anmol Bishnoi.
Additionally, the chargesheet details a plan for the shooters to gather in Kanyakumari after killing the 58-year-old actor, it said.
From there, they planned to escape to Sri Lanka by boat and then to a country where Indian law enforcement could not reach them.
The conspiracy to target Salman Khan at his Panvel farmhouse came to light during the investigation into a firing incident outside his Bandra residence.
Following the killing of former minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, security has been heightened outside Khans Bandra home.
Siddique, a former MLA from Bandra and part of Ajit Pawars faction of the NCP, was shot near Nirmal Nagar in Bandra.