Mumbai: In a shocking revelation, Mayank Pandya—the man detained by Worli Police for sending death threats to Bollywood actor Salman Khan and warning of a bomb blast in his car—confessed during interrogation that his motive was to gain popularity on social media.
According to officials, Pandya admitted he wanted to boost his Instagram followers and, inspired by the frequent threats Salman Khan receives from gangs like Lawrence Bishnoi’s, decided to send a threatening message himself. He sent the message to the Mumbai Traffic Police’s WhatsApp helpline after finding the number via Google.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3), Dattatray Kamble, confirmed the development, stating that the message was sent from Pandya’s personal mobile phone. Pandya, a resident of Vadodara in Gujarat, helps his parents run a juice shop and has a history of mental illness. Police said he has been undergoing treatment since 2014.
Medical documents verified by the police reveal that Pandya has been mentally disturbed ever since witnessing the death of his grandfather, who was electrocuted in 2014. His family was reportedly unaware of the threatening message until the police visited them.
Worli Police have issued Pandya a notice, instructing him to appear in Mumbai within a day or two for further inquiry. The threatening message was originally sent at 6:27 AM on April 13. After tracing the sender’s number to Vadodara, police registered a case under relevant BNS sections and launched an investigation.
