Didn’t send Salman Khan threat note, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to Delhi Police

Lawrence Bishnoi told the Delhi Police that some of his former associates, who are now working with Mumbai-based gangsters, may be behind the threat note to Salman Khan to get back at him

NEW DELHI: Lawrence Bishnoi, the jailed gangster accused of killing singer Sidhu Moose Wala, on Tuesday told a Delhi Police team that he or his associates did not have a role in the letter that threatened Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan, people aware of the matter said.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was accused of ordering singer Sidhu Moose Wala murder from Tihar jail where he has been in prison (PTI)

The note, found on Monday on a bench in Mumbai’s Bandstand Promenade where Salman Khan usually sits after his morning walk, said: “Moosewala jaisa kar doonga (You will suffer the same fate as Moosewala).”

The note was seen as a reference to Punjab singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala who was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29. Lawrence Bishnoi’s Canada-based associate, Goldy Brar, claimed responsibility for the murder.

The two initials on the threat letter to Salman Khan, LB and GB, were suspected to refer to Bishnoi and Canada-based associate Goldy Brar.

Bishnoi, however, told the Delhi Police special cell team that it wasn’t his gang and underlined that he had been in police custody since May 31 when a city police team secured court orders to take him out of Tihar jail to question him in Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder.

Bishnoi added that some of his former associates, who are now working with Mumbai-based gangsters, may be involved to get back at him since they knew that he was in police custody.

A senior police officer said the Bishnoi link to the threat to Salman Khan did appear a bit far-fetched to them as the gangster was in their custody but they wanted to rule it out to the extent possible.

“Also, there is no information of a clash of interests between the Bollywood actor and Canada-based Brar,” the officer said, asking not to be named.

Lawrence Bishnoi did plan an attack on Salman Khan in 2018 but a Rajasthan gangster assigned the task, Sampat Nehra, was arrested before he got to make his move.

The officer acknowledged that Bishnoi’s interrogation hadn’t led to a breakthrough in the case. “Our interrogation is on and we hope to get some more concrete information in this threat letter case,” he said, not sure if they will get any more information from the gangster.

The Mumbai Police has already beefed up security for the Khan family in view of the threats.

“A case against unknown persons has already been lodged at the Bandra police station, after Salman’s security staff had discovered the letter on a bench. We have also queried Khan’s family about the threat letter. The crime branch of Mumbai Police has already started the investigations in this connection,” a Mumbai Police officer said.

The officer said Mumbai Police may also send a team to Delhi to grill Bishnoi in this case.