Indian police arrested two members of a notorious criminal gang on Tuesday for firing at the residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan, allegedly in retaliation for Khan’s killing of two antelopes.
The Bishnoi gang, known for its involvement in multiple murders and extortion activities, belongs to a broader desert-based religious sect that reveres the species as the reincarnation of their spiritual leader.
Khan, 58, has been a target of the group since 1998 when he shot two blackbucks during a recreational hunting excursion. The gang’s incarcerated leader, Lawrence Bishnoi, has previously threatened Khan with assassination.
During the early hours of Sunday, two individuals on a motorcycle fired shots at Khan’s first-floor apartment in the upscale Mumbai neighborhood of Bandra. Despite the presence of armed police guards due to persistent threats against his life, Khan was at home during the incident. The two suspects, aged 24 and 21, were apprehended in the western state of Gujarat, according to police reports.
“We were able to track down the two suspects near a temple,” stated Kutch district police officer Mahendra Bagaria. “One of our teams reached the temple and apprehended the suspects.”
Members of the Bishnoi community pursued a legal case against Khan for the blackbuck shooting for two decades. In 2018, Khan was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for violating the Wildlife Protection Act. However, the sentence was stayed pending appeal, leading Lawrence Bishnoi to issue threats against Khan.
The gang leader has been linked to multiple murders, including the killing of popular Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022.
Khan, a prolific actor with nearly 150 films and television shows to his credit since the 1980s, remains one of Bollywood’s most prominent figures.
