A member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang from Rajasthan has been apprehended by the Mumbai crime branch for purportedly offering financial assistance to the shooters involved in the gunfire incident outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s residence. Identified as Mohammed Rafique Chowdhary (37), he marks the fifth arrest related to the incident.
On April 14, two assailants on motorcycles fired shots outside Khan’s residence at Galaxy Apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra area before fleeing. Chowdhary’s involvement surfaced during the interrogation of previously detained individuals. Reportedly associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, he maintained direct communication with the alleged shooters, Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta.
Chowdhary is accused of facilitating Pal and Gupta by providing financial aid for purchasing a motorcycle and renting a dwelling. Additionally, he conducted reconnaissance around Khan’s residence on multiple occasions. Preceding the shooting, Chowdhary stayed with Pal and Gupta in Panvel, Navi Mumbai, offering logistical support throughout the conspiracy.
Upon receiving specific intelligence regarding Chowdhary’s location, a team from the crime branch was dispatched to Rajasthan, where he was apprehended in Nagaur district. The Mumbai police have thus far detained five individuals in connection with the gunfire incident. Anuj Thapan, one of the detainees accused of supplying firearms to the shooters, reportedly committed suicide in police custody on May 1.
Lawrence Bishnoi, currently incarcerated at Sabarmati Central Prison in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, along with his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi, believed to be residing in the United States or Canada, have been implicated in the shooting case.