Navi Mumbai police have apprehended a man from Haryana in connection with a plot to attack actor Salman Khan, bringing the total number of individuals detained in the case to five, an official disclosed.
The arrested individual purportedly has ties to the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldie Brar gangs, according to the official.
Previously, Panvel police had detained four individuals following a tip-off in September-October last year regarding a conspiracy to harm the actor. The investigation involved infiltrating social media groups associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, the police stated.
In an official statement, Navi Mumbai police reported that Deepak Hawasingh Gogalia, also known as Jonny Walmiki (30), was apprehended from Bhiwani in Haryana on Saturday. The release mentioned that Gogalia facilitated accommodation arrangements for the other suspects and provided logistical and vehicular support. It further stated that he maintained communication with the other suspects through video calls.
New Arrest
According to the release, Gogalia was detained after Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 11), Panvel, Vivek Pansare enlisted the assistance of Bhiwani SP Varun Singhala, and a Crime Branch team from Navi Mumbai was dispatched to the northern state.
Gogalia was presented before a magistrate in Bhiwani on Sunday, where Navi Mumbai police were granted transit remand until June 5, the release stated, adding that he was being transported to Panvel.
Investigation Updates
DCP Pansare had earlier informed the media that senior inspector Nitin Thackeray of Panvel police station received intelligence in September-October last year regarding a plot to harm the actor. Their investigation revealed that four gang members had conducted reconnaissance on Salman Khan‘s farmhouse in Panvel, the vicinity of his residence in Bandra, Mumbai, and locations he frequented for film shoots, the DCP had stated.
In April, a case was registered against 17 individuals, including Lawrence Bishnoi and his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi, Pansare had informed reporters.
Dhananjay Tapesingh, also known as Ajay Kashyap (28), was apprehended from Panvel on April 28, while Gaurav Bhatia, also known as Sandeep Bishnoi, was detained in Gujarat on the same day, the official had stated. Vaspi Khan, alias Waseem Chikna, was apprehended from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Rizwan Khan, alias Javed Khan, was arrested in Bangalore. They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120-B (conspiracy) and 506 (criminal intimidation), Pansare had informed reporters.
Current Status
Lawrence Bishnoi is presently incarcerated in Sabarmati central prison in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, while Anmol Bishnoi is believed to be in the US or Canada.
On April 14, two motorcycle-borne individuals fired multiple rounds outside Khan’s residence – Galaxy Apartments – in Mumbai’s Bandra. The shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, were detained in Gujarat. Their associates Sonu Bishnoi and Anuj Thapan, who allegedly supplied weapons to the shooters, were subsequently apprehended in Punjab.
Thapan purportedly committed suicide in a police lock-up here on May 1. Mumbai police subsequently made additional arrests in the case.
