In a significant development in the investigation of the firing incident outside Salman khan Galaxy Apartments in Mumbai, another suspect linked to the case has been detained by Mumbai Police. The suspect, believed to have served as a liaison between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the shooters involved in the incident, was apprehended from Haryana late Wednesday night, according to police sources.
The two primary suspects, identified as Vicky Gupta, 24, and Sagar Kumar Palak, 21, who were allegedly responsible for firing five rounds outside Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra, are already in police custody. Palak, one of the main suspects, reportedly obtained the weapon used in the incident from an undisclosed source in Bandra just hours before the shooting.
Both Gupta and Palak, natives of West Champaran in Bihar, were arrested by Mumbai Police from a temple premises in Gujarat’s Kutch district late Monday night. It’s been disclosed that the accused were offered ₹4 lakh for carrying out the shooting, with an initial payment of ₹1 lakh provided upfront.
Mumbai Crime Branch officials have clarified that the intended objective of the shooting was not to cause harm to Salman Khan but to intimidate him. The suspects had allegedly conducted a reconnaissance of Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel prior to the incident.
Currently, the Mumbai Crime Branch is in the process of recording statements from the families of the accused in Bihar. Additionally, around seven individuals from Haryana and other states have been summoned for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
In response to the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Salman Khan and assured him of full government support. “The government is with you,” Shinde stated to Khan, emphasizing that swift action will be taken against the perpetrators. Shinde further condemned gang violence and vowed to eradicate it from the region.
This latest incident comes in the wake of previous revelations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that Salman Khan was among the top targets on the hit list of Lawrence Bishnoi, a jailed gangster. The Bishnoi gang purportedly targeted Khan due to his involvement in the infamous 1998 black buck hunting case, which had stirred controversy within the Bishnoi community.
