The chargesheet in the Salman Khan firing incident said that Anmol Bishnoi, brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, had instructed the gunman to fire shots in the air outside Khan's residence to intimidate him. This was to establish the Bishnoi gang's dominance in Mumbai for financial and other benefits. This comes as Khan told the police that he believed the firing was carried outside his residence in April to kill him and his family members.
The charge sheet filed by Mumbai Police at the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court also carried transcript of the phone conversation between Anmol Bishnoi and shooter Vickykumar Gupta. Anmol allegedly told Gupta to fire in a way that would scare Khan and suggested he smoke during the act to appear fearless on CCTV footage. "You will create history by doing this job and your name will be there in all newspapers and other media," Anmol told Gupta as per the 1,735-page chargesheet.
Those arrested in the case were Vickykumar Gupta, Sagarkumar Pal, Sonukumar Bishnoi, Anujkumar Thapan (now deceased), Mohd Rafiq Choudhary and Harpal Singh. Thapan allegedly committed suicide in police custody after his arrest. The other five are now in judicial custody. Anmol is currently absconding.
This comes as Khan said he heard a firecracker-like sound while asleep at his residence in Galaxy Apartments in the early hours of April 14. His police bodyguard told him around 4.55 am that two people on a motorbike had fired at the first-floor balcony, he said, adding that his bodyguard complained about the firing at Bandra police station.
Khan added that there were earlier attempts to hurt him and his family. He said he later learnt via Facebook that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi had confessed and taken responsibility for the attack, the statement said.
Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang members had talked about killing Khan and his relatives earlier too, the statement said, adding, "So, I believe that Lawrence Bishnoi, with the help of his gang members, carried out the firing incident when my family members were sleeping and (they were) planning to kill me and my family members." He and his family had received several other threats in recent years, the actor told police.
Salman Khan's brother and actor-producer Arbaaz Khan too reiterated that the Bishnoi gang intended to kill them. In his statement, he recounted the prior threats received by the family and the trespassing at their Panvel farmhouse. "Hence, Salman Khan would always tell our family members to be alert about their safety," Arbaaz said. He was out of town when the April 14 firing incident took place, Arbaaz said.
