Crime Branch, which invoked stringent MCOCA against all 26 accused, says shooters failed to execute plan owing to actor’s tight security
Salman Khan at Bandra West on Oct 13. File pic/Anurag Ahire
During the investigation into the murder of Baba Siddique, it has emerged that Bollywood actor Salman Khan was also a target of the same shooters. The Crime Branch revealed that the shooters intended to target Khan. However, they failed to execute their plan due to the actor’s tight security arrangements. Unable to carry out the attack on Khan, the shooters turned their focus to Siddique and his son, Zeeshan.
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On October 12, they managed to kill Baba Siddique, but Zeeshan narrowly escaped as he had left his office just minutes before the assassination. The investigation is ongoing.
According to sources, the shooters were given three targets which include former Bandra East MLA Zeeshan Siddique and Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who has been getting threats since the black buck poaching case.
Police security outside Galaxy Apartments Salman Khan’s house on September 19. File pic/Shadab Khan
“During the investigation, details have emerged indicating that Bollywood actor Salman Khan was also a target. Certain statements and digital evidence have surfaced supporting this,” an officer from the Mumbai Crime Branch told mid-day on condition of anonymity.
When asked if the shooters had conducted a recce of the actor’s residence, the officer said, “It appears that they visited the actor’s house once but found heavy security. The actor enters his car from inside the building, with no access for outsiders to get close to him. Due to these challenges, the shooters abandoned their plan and focused solely on the Siddiques.”
Due to threats from the Bishnoi gang, Salman Khan’s security has been significantly increased. While the actor was already under the Y+ category security, the number of police personnel assigned to him was raised following the assassination of Baba Siddique. Currently, around 50 to 60 police personnel are deployed for his protection, along with two escort vehicles, effectively providing security equivalent to the Z+ category. However, his security is not officially classified as Z+.
MCOCA invoked
The Mumbai Crime Branch recently invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) naming Anmol Bishnoi, brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, as a wanted accused. According to police, the motive behind the murder appears to be Siddique’s close association with actor Salman Khan. Based on the details provided by the Indian agencies, Anmol has been detained by the police in California (US).
While Zeeshan Siddique has claimed that the murder could be linked to a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) dispute, the police have found no substantial evidence to support this angle.
“We cannot conclusively determine the motive until the wanted conspirators are apprehended. However, the investigation so far points to the actor’s close relationship with the Siddiques as the primary reason,” an officer explained.
Shooters misled
The investigation has revealed that shooters Shiv Kumar Gautam, Gurmail Singh, and Dharmaraj Kashyap were heavily brainwashed by Anmol Bishnoi to carry out the murder. They were falsely told that Anuj Thapan, arrested in a case involving gunfire outside Salman Khan’s residence, was killed in police custody due to the influence of Siddique and Khan. Additionally, they were misled to believe that Siddique had links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
During interrogation, shooter Gautam claimed Siddique’s alleged connection with Dawood as a justification for the murder. However, the Crime Branch clarified to him that these accusations were baseless and that no records linked Siddique to Dawood. Realising he had been deceived, Gautam admitted, “I was fooled into doing the job.”
50 to 60
No. of cops deployed for Salman’s security
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