Two accused in Salman Khan attack case granted bail by High Court

Justice N.R. Borkar approved the bail applications of Gaurav Bhatia, also known as Sandeep Bishnoi, and Waspi Mehmud Khan.

The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to two men arrested last year for their alleged involvement in a plot by the Bishnoi gang to assassinate Bollywood actor Salman Khan near his Panvel farmhouse.

Justice N.R. Borkar approved the bail applications of Gaurav Bhatia, also known as Sandeep Bishnoi, and Waspi Mehmud Khan. The detailed order is yet to be released. According to Navi Mumbai Police, the duo, along with other accused individuals, had conducted reconnaissance at multiple locations, including Salman Khan’s Panvel farmhouse, his Bandra residence, and various film shooting sites he frequented.

Following the revelations, a case was registered against 18 members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang for allegedly conspiring to assassinate Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The investigation gained momentum after two gang members opened fire outside Khan’s Bandra residence in April 2024.

Among those named in the First Information Report (FIR) were jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, his absconding brother Anmol Bishnoi, as well as Sampat Nehra, Goldie Brar, and Rohit Godhara. Lawrence Bishnoi is currently imprisoned in Ahmedabad in connection with another case.

Police further revealed that one of the accused had been in contact with a Pakistan-based individual to procure AK-47 rifles for the planned attack. As per their plan, the suspects intended to regroup in Kanyakumari before making their escape to Sri Lanka.

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On June 1, 2024, Navi Mumbai Police arrested four individuals linked to Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang for allegedly plotting an attack on actor Salman Khan’s car in Panvel. According to officials, the gang had planned to procure weapons from a Pakistani arms supplier to carry out the attack.

An FIR was registered against over 18 individuals, including key figures like Lawrence Bishnoi, his absconding brother Anmol Bishnoi, Sampat Nehra, and Goldy Brar. The investigation into the conspiracy remains ongoing. Navi Mumbai Police identified the arrested individuals as Dhananjay alias Ajay Kashyap, Gaurav Bhatia alias Nahvi, Waspi Khan alias Wasim Chikna, and Rizwan Khan alias Javed Khan.

(With PTI inputs)