In a bizarre turn of events, Bollywood actor Salman Khan received a threatening message last week, demanding ₹5 crore to resolve a long-standing feud with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. However, just days later, the sender claimed the threat was an unintentional mistake and apologised.
The initial message, which found its way to the WhatsApp number of the Mumbai Traffic Police's control room, was chilling.
On October 18, Mumbai Traffic Police received a threatening message on its WhatsApp number in which the sender demanded ₹5 crore from Bollywood actor Salman Khan to "end enmity with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and stay alive."
It purportedly came from someone affiliated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, insisting that the hefty sum was necessary to mediate a truce between Salman Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi.
The message ominously warned that failure to comply could result in dire consequences for the actor, referencing the recent murder of politician Baba Siddique.
Mumbai Police had said the sender claimed, 'Don't take it lightly, if Salman Khan wants to stay alive and wants to end the enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, then he will have to pay ₹5 crore. If the money is not given, Salman Khan's condition will be worse than Baba Siddique”.
In an unexpected development, the same sender later reached out to the Mumbai Traffic Police to express remorse. Mumbai Traffic Police received another message from the same WhatsApp number a few days later in which the person who threatened apologized, the message sender said that this message was sent by mistake and he apologised for it.
They claimed that the threatening message had been sent by mistake and apologised for any distress caused. This apology has raised eyebrows, prompting questions about the credibility of the initial threat.
Following the threat, Mumbai police took immediate action, tracing the sender's location to Jharkhand.
A team has been dispatched to apprehend the individual responsible.
The conflict between Salman Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi dates back to a 1998 incident in which the actor was accused of hunting and killing two blackbucks, a species revered by the Bishnoi community.
This long-standing feud has led to numerous threats against the actor in recent months, including a shooting incident near his residence earlier this year.
In response to the escalating threats, Salman Khan has been provided with Y+ security, which includes a significant police presence outside his home at Galaxy Apartments.
Additionally, Mumbai Police have implemented advanced security measures, including AI-powered high-resolution CCTV cameras with facial recognition technology.
