Lawrence Bishnoi gang planned Sidhu Moosewala-like hit on Salman Khan: Maharashtra Police Chargesheet

MUMBAI: A detailed analysis of intelligence gathered, including technical examination of suspects' mobile phones, formation of a WhatsApp group, tower locations, and eyewitness audio and video calls, suggest that members of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's gang were planning to kill actor Salman Khan with sophisticated weapons from Pakistan, including AK-47s, a chargesheet filed by Panvel police said.
The attack was allegedly planned to be carried out either during a movie shoot or while the actor was leaving his Panvel farmhouse, in a manner similar to Sidhu Moosewala's murder, according to the chargesheet. The police submitted the 350-page chargesheet against five Bishnoi gang members to the Panvel magistrate court last week, detailing the plot, planned attack and escape routes.
The five named in the chargesheet are Dhananjay Tapsingh alias Ajay Kashyap (28), Gautam Vinod Bhatia (29), Vaspi Mehmood Khan alias China (36), Rizwan Hassan alias Javed Khan (25), and Deepak Hawasingh alias John Walmiki (30). Police have invoked IPC Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 115 (abetment), and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation).
In early April, Panvel police inspector Nitin Thackeray received intelligence about Bishnoi gang members planning an attack on Khan. Investigations revealed that Bishnoi had given a Rs 25 lakh supari (contract) to gang members to attack Khan. The gang used a WhatsApp group with 15-16 members, including Bishnoi's Canada-based cousin Anmol Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, Ajay Kashyap, Vinod Bhatia, Vaspi Mehmood Khan alias China and Rizwan Hassan Khan to communicate and execute the attack.
The police have identified Sukha Shooter and Dogar from Pakistan, who were supposed to supply sophisticated weapons like AK-47, M16, or M5. Kashyap rented a house near Khan's Panvel farmhouse to understand the area's topography. Kashyap and Javed China had already conducted recce of Khan's farmhouse in Panvel, Film City in Goregaon, and his Bandra residence.