Vegetable seller arrested for sending death threat to Salman Khan
What's the story
The Mumbai Police have arrested a 24-year-old vegetable vendor from Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, named Shaikh Hussain Shaikh Mausin.
He is accused of sending a death threat to Bollywood actor Salman Khan through a WhatsApp message to the Mumbai Traffic Police's control room on October 18.
The threat message apparently demanded ₹5 crore from Khan for his safety and to stop all hostility with notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Apology message
Accused apologized for the threat, claimed it was a mistake
The arrest came after the police received an apology message from the same number on Tuesday. The sender alleged that the first threatening message was sent by mistake.
The police traced this number to Jharkhand, which led to Mausin's arrest.
In a statement, ANI reported that the threatening message read: "Don't take it lightly, if Salman Khan wants to stay alive and wants to end enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, then he will have to pay ₹5 crore."
Ongoing feud
Threat message linked to Khan-Bishnoi feud
The person who sent the threat message claimed to be a member of Bishnoi's gang and threatened to put Khan's life in danger.
The incident is part of an ongoing feud between Khan and Bishnoi, stemming from a 1998 incident where Khan was accused of hunting two blackbucks—a species revered by the Bishnoi community.
The long-standing feud has led to several threats against Khan recently, including a shooting incident near his residence earlier this year.
Increased security
Khan's security has been enhanced in response to threats
In light of the growing threats, Khan has been given Y-plus security, which includes a heavy police presence outside his residence at Galaxy Apartments.
Mumbai Police have also taken advanced security measures such as AI-powered high-resolution CCTV cameras with facial recognition technology.
Despite the death threats, Khan has not let it affect his work. He was recently spotted shooting for Singham Again on Wednesday, keeping his word to friends Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty.