Attack on Bollywood star’s home in ‘holy’ antelopes feud
AN INDIAN gang has fired shots at a Bollywood actor’s home as part of a 20-year feud sparked by the death of two “holy” antelopes.
Salman Khan has repeatedly received death threats from Lawrence Bishnoi, a jailed gang member, ever since he killed two blackbucks in Rajasthan in 1998 while shooting the film Hum Saathsaath Hain (We Are Together).
Bishnoi comes from a small gang of the same name that considers the Indian antelope to be the reincarnation of Bhagwan Jambeshwar, their religious Guru, also known as Jambaji.
The gang has repeatedly pressed for legal action to be taken against Khan over the shooting.
In 2018, Khan was sentenced to five years in jail for violating a wildlife protection act but the sentence was suspended days after the actor was sent to prison. At the time, the gang warned it would take matters into its own hands.
Two attackers identified by police as Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal – both close associates of Bishnoi – are alleged to have been outside Khan’s house.
Lakhmi Gautam, Mumbai joint commissioner of police, said: “The duo carried out a recce around Khan’s Mumbai apartment three times before the incident.” They shot five rounds at Khan’s residence. No one was injured. The assailants were apprehended on Monday from Mata no Madh village in Kutch district of Gujarat after they fled.
A Facebook account believed to be run by Bishnoi’s younger brother Anmol posted to claim responsibility for the attack. He described the incident as a “trailer”, adding: “We have only shown you a trailer so that you understand the magnitude of our strength and do not test it. This is the first and last warning.”
Why the gang has decided to retaliate now is not clear but many speculate it might be prompted by Khan’s popularity during Eid celebrations last week, when he greeted thousands of fans.
A Bollywood actor with nearly 150 film and TV credits since the 1980s, Khan’s personal life has been marked by controversy. In 2002, he was involved in a late-night hit and run in Mumbai. Despite being cleared initially, authorities have challenged his acquittal in 2016 and the case is ongoing.