A 32-year-old man from Rajasthan, accused of issuing death threats to Bollywood star Salman Khan, was arrested in Karnataka's Haveri Town and subsequently handed over to Maharashtra Police on Wednesday, according to officials.
The suspect, identified as Bhikha Ram, also known as Vikram, hails from Jalore in Rajasthan. Acting on a tip-off from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Superintendent of Police Anshu Kumar confirmed to PTI, "one person was apprehended in Haveri Town and handed over to them today."
Police sources said the accused had been staying at various locations in Karnataka before moving to Haveri about a month and a half ago. "He had been working at construction sites and was residing in a rented room in Gowdar Oni," they added.
A police source said, "The accused was watching a regional news channel when he suddenly called the Mumbai Police control room and issued a death threat to Salman Khan. He is a daily wage worker and claims to be a fan of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. This is his version, but his detailed interrogation and further investigation will be conducted by the Mumbai Police. Our team only secured him and handed him over to the Mumbai Police."
On Monday night, the accused had sent a threat message on the WhatsApp helpline of the Mumbai traffic police control room. The message read: "If Salman Khan wants to stay alive, he should go to our temple and apologise or pay Rs 5 crore. If he does not do so, we will kill him; our gang is still active."
He also claimed he was the brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
"During the investigation, it came to light that the accused hailed from Karnataka, following which a team of Worli police was sent to apprehend him. Bishnoi was nabbed late on Tuesday and after his interrogation, he was placed under arrest by the Worli police," police informed the portal.
Bhikha was produced before the local court for transit remand.
Meanwhile, Salman has been busy shooting for his next movie. The actor flew to Hyderabad to join the shoot of 'Sikandar' which is slated to release on Eid 2025. The film will see the superstar sharing screen space with Rashmika Mandanna. The film's shoot is currently underway at the Taj Falaknuma Palace.
