Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldie Brar gangs allegedly considered employing minors to carry out the killing of Bollywood actor Salman Khan, according to the police.
The Navi Mumbai police uncovered a plot to kill the actor during their investigation disclosing a video call conversation between Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Ajay Kashyap and another accused.
As per the conversation, sharpshooters, trained in modern weapons, were stationed across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Raigad, and Gujarat under the orders of Canada-based gangster Goldie Brar.
Accordingly, sharpshooters Anmol Bishnoi and Rohit Godara were said to have been instructed by Goldie Brar to carry out the attack, utilising minors under 18 years old for the task, officials said quoting the First Information Report.
A man named John was allegedly tasked with providing the vehicle for the operation, as per the FIR.
After the attack, gang members were to regroup at Kanyakumari and then proceed to Sri Lanka via sea route. From there, arrangements were made to send them to other countries, with gangster Anmol Bishnoi, based in Canada, arranging their travel, officials added.
According to the police, Lawrence Bishnoi and Sampat Nehra gangs had deployed around 60 to 70 members to monitor Salman Khan's movements as part of efforts to conduct recce at his Bandra residence, Panvel farmhouse, and film shooting locations.
Following specific information about the plot to kill Khan, a case was registered against 17 identified accused and others at Panvel Town police station on April 24.
The accused included Lawrence Bishnoi, his brother Anmol, gang member Sampat Nehra, Goldie Brar, Ajay Kashyap alias Dhananjay Tapesing, Sukha Shooter, Sandeep Bishnoi alias Gaurav Bhatia, Wasim China, Dogar and others.
The police discovered a video call between Ajay Kashyap and a Pakistan-based individual named Dogar. The call was initiated by Kashyap in the presence of a member, who later become an informer to the police, as per the FIR.
Kashyap allegedly discussed procuring weapons, including AK-47s, from Pakistan after depositing a 50 per cent amount in gangster Goldie Brar's account.
The remaining amount can be paid after the weapons are delivered.
During the video call, Dogar showed 4 to 5 weapons, including AK-47s and others, to Kahsyap, it added.
In one of the conversations, Kashyap purportedly told the man (who later became a police informer) that though Salman Khan roams in a bulletproof vehicle, shooters will kill him, the FIR stated.
Kashyap and his associates conducted reconnaissance at Salman Khan's farmhouse and discussed the plot, including the actor's travel route, at various locations, including railway stations, rickshaw stands, and Panvel bus stand.
Further investigation by Navi Mumbai Police disclosed Kashyap's movements in various locations, some of which are known for illegal arms smuggling, including Kashmir, Ganga Nagar, the borders of Pakistan and Nepal, Bihar, Sivan, Gorakhpur, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.
Kashyap was also in contact with a woman named Chinu, who runs a gang previously led by her father Anand Pal. The gang allegedly received support from Lawrence Bishnoi's gang.
The informer told the police that after Anand Pal was killed in a police encounter, Chinu has been operating the gang from undisclosed locations in the Gulf countries.
Conversations among Ajay Kashyap, Sandeep Bishnoi, Gaurav Bhatia, Sukha Shooter, Wasim China and others also involved discussions about acquiring weapons like AK-47s, M-16s, AK 92, and Zigana, to kill Khan.
Zigana, a semi-automatic pistol, is believed to have been used in the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala.
Navi Mumbai Police had arrested five persons, including an alleged member of Bishnoi and Brar gangs from Haryana, in connection with a plot to attack Salman Khan, officials said on Sunday.
The arrests were made after getting a tip-off in September-October last year about a conspiracy to harm the actor.
The probe included infiltrating social media groups of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, the police said.
Navi Mumbai Police had last week said their probe found that four gang members had recced Khan's farmhouse in Panvel, the area around his home at Bandra in Mumbai, and places he visited for film shooting.
In April, a case was registered a case against 17 persons, including the Bishnoi brothers.
Lawrence Bishnoi is currently lodged in the Sabarmati Central Prison in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, while Anmol Bishnoi is believed to be in the US or Canada.
On April 14, two bike-borne men fired multiple rounds outside Khan's home -- Galaxy Apartments -- in Mumbai's Bandra.
The shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, were arrested from Gujarat. Their associates Sonu Bishnoi and Anuj Thapan, who allegedly delivered weapons to the shooters, were nabbed later from Punjab.
Thapan allegedly hanged himself in a police lock-up here on May 1. Mumbai police subsequently made more arrests in the case.
