Update: Gangster Rohit Godara named in Salman Khan firing case
The Mumbai Crime Branch has registered a case against gangster Rohit Godara in last month's shooting incident at Bollywood actor Salman Khan's residence. The event, which occurred on April 14 outside Khan's Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, has resulted in six arrests so far. Per ANI, an official release stated, "Mumbai Crime Branch has so far arrested six accused in the Salman Khan firing case and four accused are absconding and the search is on."
Who is Godara?
Earlier, The Indian Express reported that Godara, identified as a close associate of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has faced prior accusations of involvement in significant criminal activities. He has been linked to the alleged murders of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022 and Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in 2023. Godara reportedly oversees the operations of Bishnoi's gang from the UK.
Previous arrests revealed connections to Bishnoi's gang
The investigation has unveiled links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, prompting the Mumbai Police to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against all involved in the shooting. The sixth arrestee, Harpal Singh, was apprehended from Haryana's Fatehabad on Monday evening. His information came to light during the questioning of another accused, Mohammed Rafique Choudhary, who had financed a reconnaissance mission around Khan's residence.
Bishnoi's brother allegedly orchestrated Khan's shooting
Reports suggest that Bishnoi's brother, Anmol Bishnoi, played a pivotal role in the unsettling shooting incident. After receiving weapons in Panvel on March 15, Anmol—who was reportedly orchestrating the whole operation from outside India—allegedly provided the shooters with information about their target and instructed them to fire at Khan's residence. The shooters—Vicky Kumar Gupta and Sagar Kumar Pal—reportedly received a total of ₹3 lakh for executing the plan as per instructions.
Amid the chaos, Bishnoi community is 'ready to forgive Khan'
On Tuesday, the President of the All India Bishnoi Society, Devendra Budiya, issued a statement outlining the conditions under which Khan could be forgiven by the community. Budiya stated, "If Salman himself apologizes, the Bishnoi society will consider the apology. No one else can apologize on his behalf." For those unaware, the Bishnoi community holds grievances against Khan for an incident dating back to 1998, where he allegedly hunted a blackbuck near Jodhpur.
Meanwhile, Khan is keeping busy with these upcoming projects
Following the firing incident, Khan's security was significantly increased, and he began making public appearances accompanied by them. He is now gearing up to commence filming for Sikandar where he will be sharing the screen with Rashmika Mandanna. However, the announcement of this new pairing has sparked criticism due to the notable age gap between Khan, who is 58, and Mandanna, who is 28. Directed by AR Murugadoss, Sikandar is scheduled for release on Eid 2025.
