Mumbai police issue gun licence to Salman Khan

Move came days after actor approached CP, seeking to keep a weapon for security purposes as he and his father received a death threat
Sachin Gaad (MID-DAY; August 1, 2022)

The Mumbai police have issued a weapon licence to actor Salman Khan. This comes after the actor and his father Salim received death threats last month, which prompted Khan to approach Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar for the licence for security purposes. Senior police officers said Khan was granted the licence days after he met the CP at his office in Crawford Market.

In May, Khan and his father received a threat that they would meet the same fate as Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, who was killed at Mansa village by alleged members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang earlier that month. The Bishnoi gang had in 2018 issued a similar threat against the actor. According to cops, Salim Khan’s security personnel had found the threat letter when he was on his daily morning walk at Bandstand promenade. The note read, “Moose Wala jaisa kar dunga.”

Soon after this, the Mumbai police registered a First Information Report (FIR) for allegedly issuing death threats to the father-son duo and began a probe. The crime branch also conducted a parallel probe. However, the perpetrators have not been traced yet. Meanwhile, Khan’s security has been beefed up for protection.

This is not the first time Khan received threats. In 2018 when the trial of the blackbuck poaching case was underway, Bishnoi had allegedly threatened the actor. The gangster who belongs to the Bishnoi community considers blackbucks to be sacred animals and claimed that the actor’s involvement in the case had hurt the sentiments of their community.