Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has confirmed a series of high-profile threats targeting Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Aayush Sharma, which investigators suspect to be linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
This development comes amid the ongoing investigation into the firing incident outside the residence of filmmaker Rohit Shetty on January 31, 2024.
According to a Mumbai Crime Branch report, actor Aayush Sharma, who is also Salman Khan’s brother-in-law, was sent a threatening email through Proton Mail, an end-to-end encrypted service designed to protect a user’s identity.
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Police said the sender used the platform to hide his identity and bypass traditional digital tracing mechanisms. The email allegedly claimed to be linked to Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
A few days ago, actor Ranveer Singh received an extortion threat through a WhatsApp voice note sent to his manager’s phone number. Police confirmed that the sender used a virtual private network (VPN) to conceal their identity and location.
Mumbai Police has recorded the statement of Ranveer Singh’s manager as part of the investigation.
Authorities believe the threats may be part of a coordinated intimidation campaign targeting prominent figures in the film industry.
Police said the latest threats come after a shooting incident outside Rohit Shetty’s residence last year, for which the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility through a social media post.
In connection with that case, the Mumbai Crime Branch has invoked sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against several accused, suspecting the involvement of an organized crime network.
On Wednesday, 11 February, the five accused were produced before a special MCOCA court and sent to police custody till 17 February.
Earlier, after his preliminary hearing, the court had sent him to custody till February 11, citing the seriousness of the crime and the need for joint interrogation.
During the proceedings, defense lawyer Ajinkya Mirgal raised questions on the prosecution’s claims, especially regarding the alleged supply of weapons by Praveen Lonkar, who has been in jail for one and a half years in the Baba Siddiqui murder case.
Police have said the accused communicated through the Signal app to maintain confidentiality and are seeking access to additional deleted chats. Investigators allege that accused Asaram Fasale, who allegedly worked as a garage mechanic for the Bishnoi gang, had supplied the weapons on the instructions of Shubham Lonkar, who was allegedly the mastermind of both the Baba Siddiqui murder and Shetty firing case.