Cops get threat message seeking Rs 5 crore from Salman Khan

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MUMBAI: The Mumbai traffic police received a threat message demanding Rs 5 crore from Bollywood actor Salman Khan, following which the Crime Branch began a probe, an official said on Friday.

A case was registered at Worli police under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for threat and extortion after the city’s traffic controlroom received the message on its WhatsApp helpline on Thursday afternoon, he said.

The case has been registered on the complaint of a traffic police personnel, the official added. “The sender also said the threat should not be taken lightly. The probe has been transferred to the Crime Branch,” he said.

The superstar had earlier received death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Bishnoi gang members had also opened fire outside the actor’s Bandra home in April, he said. Meanwhile, the Navi Mumbai police on Thursday uncovered a plot to kill Khan by the Bishnoi gang in June and arrested one of its shooters, identified as Sukhbir Singh of Haryana’s Panipat, he said.

A special court on Friday denied bail to one of the shooters allegedly involved in firing outside actor Salman Khan’s Bandra house in April this year. Vicky Gupta’s bail plea was rejected by BD Shelke, special judge for cases under MCOCA.

The detailed order was not made available as yet. Gupta was arrested along with others for the incident that took place outside the film superstar’s Galaxy Apartments on April 14. He and co-accused Sagar Pal had opened fire while riding past on a motorcycle.

Gupta, in his bail plea filed through lawyers Amit Mishra and Pankaj Ghildiyal, claimed he was influenced by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s persona as depicted in electronic, print and social media.

If bail is granted, then there is strong possibility Gupta will inform Bishnoi about the probe conducted during his custody and evidence that is yet to be obtained may be destroyed, police told court.