The Mumbai police have beefed up actor Salman Khan’s security following the threat letter received by his father Salim Khan on Sunday. The police have also taken into account that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi had earlier confessed to having sent his henchmen to reconnoitre the actor’s residence in a bid to kill him after he was accused in 1998 of poaching black bucks, which are regarded sacred by the Bishnoi clan.
The Bandra police had on Saturday registered an FIR of criminal intimidation against unknown persons, after Salim Khan found a letter threatening the father-son duo. The letter, written in Hindi, stated they would both soon meet the same fate as murdered singer Siddhu Moosewala.
A senior police officer said, “The extra security is a precautionary measure as recent events and their possible connection can’t be ignored.”
Last year, Bishnoi, in his interrogation by the Delhi police special cell, had confessed that he had sent some people to conduct a recce of Khan’s residence and also try and kill him. He had allegedly also arranged for a gun to be sent to a shooter who was arrested. The police are now probing whether there is any actual connection between Saturday's threat letter and Bishnoi’s past attempt on Khan’s life.
“It’s too early to come to a conclusion as to whether there is a definite link. However, if investigations establish a connection to Bishnoi, we will send a team to Delhi,” Commissioner of Police Sanjay Pandey said on Monday.
Along with the possible Bishnoi connection, the police are also focusing on tracing and apprehending the person who actually delivered the threat letter. It had been placed on a bench at the Bandstand Promenade, where the actor’s screenwriter-father usually sits after his morning walk.
An officer who is part of the probe said, “It won’t exactly be correct to assume that whoever delivered the letter had kept a watch on the Khan residence to know Salim Khan’s routine. Anybody who visits Bandstand regularly would be in a position to know about this. We are investigating all possible angles.”
The Bandra police on Monday recorded statements from Salim Khan's bodyguard as well as Salman Khan as part of their investigation. Further, footage from nearly CCTV cameras at and around Bandstand is being scanned for clues.
