Actor Salman Khan has revealed that he woke up to the sound of gunshots on April 14 when two bike-borne men opened fire outside his residence in Mumbai's Bandra. Police claim the shooters, hired by Lawrence Bishnoi's gang, had conspired to kill Mr Khan.
A four-member team, including an officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch, visited Mr Khan's house on June 4 to record the statement of Mr Khan and his brother Arbaaz, police said. The two brothers were questioned for six hours in total. Mr Khan told police that he realised his life was in danger and thanked the officials for their help during the investigation of the case.
In his statement, Mr Khan told police that he was home on the day of the incident and had slept late after a party until late into the night. The sound of a bullet which hit his flat's balcony woke him up, he told police. The actor said after he was jolted awake he went to the balcony to check and looked outside but did not see anyone.
Police also recorded the statement of Mr Khan's brother Arbaaz, who was at his Juhu residence at the time of the firing, but was aware of the past threats issued by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to Mr Khan.
Mr Khan's statement was recorded for three hours while his brother was questioned for two hours. In total, over 150 questions were asked to both brothers.
Mr Khan's father Salim Khan was also present at home when the firing occurred but his statement has not been recorded due to his old age. According to sources, the crime branch will record his statement if required.
On April 14, two bike-borne men opened fire outside Mr Khan's residence in Mumbai's Bandra. After the incident, police arrested four suspects: Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, who were arrested in Gujarat, while Anuj Thapan and another individual were detained in Punjab on April 26. In total, six arrests have been made. Later, Anuj Thapan died in police custody.
According to police, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had allegedly conspired to strike Mr Khan's car in Maharashtra's Panvel, armed with weapons sourced from a Pakistani arms supplier. According to police sources, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, alongside his Canada-based cousin Anmol Bishnoi and associate Goldie Brar, had reportedly acquired AK-47s, M-16s, and other high-calibre weapons from a Pakistani arms dealer. The plan was to either ambush Mr Khan's vehicle or attack his farmhouse in Panvel.