Bail denied to accused in 2024 firing at Salman Khan’s house

The police claimed he had visited the site two days before the attack, shot a video of the building and its surroundings, and sent it to Anmol Bishnoi

MUMBAI: A special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Monday rejected the bail application of Mohammed Rafiq Sardar Chaudhari, who is allegedly associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in connection with the firing incident outside actor Salman Khan’s residence last year.

Bail denied to accused in 2024 firing at Salman Khan’s house

The order, passed by Special Judge Mahesh Jadhav, marks another setback for the accused, who has been in custody since his arrest on 7 May, 2024. A detailed order copy is yet to be released.

The case stems from 14 April, 2024, when two men on a motorcycle — later identified as Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal — opened fire outside Khan’s Galaxy Apartments at Bandra West in the early hours. The attack, which injured nobody, was allegedly carried out at the behest of the Bishnoi gang.

According to investigators, Chaudhari played a key role in the attack’s planning stage. The police claimed he had visited the site two days before the attack, shot a video of the building and its surroundings, and sent it to Anmol Bishnoi, who is wanted in the case and believed to be operating from abroad.

Chaudhari, with Gupta, Pal, Sonukumar Bishnoi, and Harpal Singh, are all lodged in judicial custody. Another accused, Anujkumar Thapan, died by suicide while in police custody early on in the probe.

The chargesheet filed in the case lists jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol as wanted accused, alleging that the firing was meant to intimidate the actor and demonstrate the gang’s reach. The investigation into the broader conspiracy remains underway, with police examining cross-border links and the involvement of other gang associates.