Entertainment
How Bishnoi’s feud with Salman Khan began
Three suspects have been arrested after gunmen opened fire at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on October 18, 2026. Shroff escaped unhurt, while his driver and another person were injured. The attack has brought renewed attention to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s threats against Bollywood personalities, particularly those associated with Salman Khan. The dispute between Khan and Bishnoi dates back to the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. Over the years, the actor has received a threat letter and a threatening email, followed by gunfire outside his Bandra residence in April 2024. The latest attack on Shroff has been linked to his association with Khan in a message attributed to people claiming to represent the Bishnoi gang. Police investigations are ongoing. How did Lawrence Bishnoi-Salman Khan start? The dispute traces back to the 1998 blackbuck poaching case in Rajasthan. Salman Khan was accused of killing two blackbucks near Jodhpur while shooting for the film Hum Saath Saath Hain. Other actors, including Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam Kothari, were also accused in the case. A Jodhpur trial court convicted Salman Khan in April 2018 and sentenced him to five years in prison, along with a fine of Rs 10,000. The court acquitted the other high-profile accused, giving them the benefit of doubt. Khan challenged his conviction, and proceedings in the related appeals continued in the Rajasthan High Court in 2026. How did Bishnoi's threats against Salman Khan escalate? June 2022: A threat letter was reportedly found at Bandra Bandstand, where Khan’s father, Salim Khan, used to go for walks. The letter warned that Salman would meet the same fate as singer Sidhu Moosewala, who was murdered in May 2022. March 2023: Khan’s manager received a threatening email referring to Bishnoi and gangster Goldy Brar. The email suggested that the matter could be settled through a direct conversation, while warning of consequences. January 2024: Navi Mumbai Police later investigated an alleged plan by gang members to conduct reconnaissance around Khan’s Panvel farmhouse and his work locations. April 14, 2024: Two motorcycle-borne men opened fire outside Khan’s Galaxy Apartments residence in Bandra. Khan was not injured. Mumbai Police alleged that the attack was carried out at the behest of the Bishnoi gang. Which other people faced attacks or threats? The threats and attacks attributed to the network have extended beyond Khan. Live Events October 2024: Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai. A social media post linked to the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility, and police investigated alleged links. February 2025: Gunfire was reported outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s Juhu residence. People linked to the Bishnoi network reportedly claimed responsibility. July 2025 onwards: Comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe in Surrey, Canada, faced multiple shooting incidents. Messages attributed to the gang linked the attacks to Salman Khan’s appearance on Sharma’s Netflix show. June 2026: The Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for a shooting outside singer AP Dhillon’s Vancouver residence and issued a warning to him. Reports linked the threat to his music-video collaboration with Khan. What happened in the Tiger Shroff firing case? On October 18, 2026, gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area. The actor escaped without bullet injuries, while his driver and another person sustained injuries. A message attributed to alleged Bishnoi gang associates Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu claimed responsibility for the attack. It alleged that Shroff had been warned earlier and threatened people in the Mumbai film industry who worked with Salman Khan. The authenticity of the message and the claimed links are subject to police investigation. Who are the three accused arrested in Tiger Shroff's case? On October 19, Kota Police detained three suspects travelling on the Pune-Jaipur Express. They were identified as Rehan alias Sukka, from Sonipat in Haryana; Hritik Kurmi alias Roshan, from Begusarai in Bihar, who had been living in Mumbai; and a minor. Police said the suspects allegedly planned to travel to Jaipur before escaping towards Nepal. Preliminary questioning indicated that Rehan had been in contact with Anil Pandit, whom police linked to the Bishnoi network. The suspects were to be handed over to Mumbai Police for further investigation. Police also said weapons had not yet been recovered at the time of the reported briefing. The investigation into the firing at Shroff’s car remains separate from the earlier cases involving Khan and other personalities. The latest arrests mark a significant development, but the suspects’ alleged roles and the wider network’s involvement must be established through the investigation. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Economic Times·1 hour ago·4 min read