Mumbai: The actor Salman Khan has disclosed that on April 14, he heard gunfire coming from his Bandra neighbourhood residence in Mumbai. Two motorcycles had opened fire. Authorities assert that the gunmen, employed by the gang of Lawrence Bishnoi, planned to kill the 58-year-old movie star.
On June 4, a four-person team, which included a Mumbai Crime Branch officer, went to Salman Khan's home to take his and his brother Arbaaz Khan's statements. They were questioned for six hours, NDTV reported.
According to reports, Salman Khan thanked police for their assistance after realising his life was in danger.
Salman Khan said to the police in his testimony that the night before the incident, he had gone to bed late following a party. He informed the police he was awakened by the sound of a gunshot that had struck his balcony, which was later discovered.
The actor claimed that after being startled into wakefulness, he walked to the balcony to see whether anyone was there, but he was alone.
When the shots were fired, Arbaaz Khan, who was at his home in Juhu, stated he knew that his brother had previously received threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. While his brother was questioned for two hours, Salman Khan's statement was recorded for three hours. According to the authorities, the brothers were asked more than 150 questions.
Due to his advanced age, their father Salim Khan, who was also present at the Bandra flat when the firing occurred, did not have his statement recorded. Sources say that if his statement is needed, the crime branch will record it.
Two men riding a bike opened fire outside Salman Khan's house on April 14, and six men have been taken into custody. On April 26, Anuj Thapan and another man were taken into custody in Punjab; Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal were arrested in Gujarat. Anuj Thapan passed away in police custody.
The police claim that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang planned to attack Salman Khan's car in Panvel, Maharashtra, where he owns a farmhouse, using weapons that were supplied by a Pakistani arms supplier.
Criminal Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in jail, his cousin Anmol Bishnoi, who lives in Canada, and their associate Goldie Brar were said to have purchased M-16s, AK-47s, and other high-calibre weapons from a Pakistani arms dealer. According to insiders, the idea was to attack the star's farmhouse or ambush his car.