The Mumbai Crime Branch has confirmed a series of high-profile threats targeting Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Aayush Sharma with investigators suspecting links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The developments come amid an ongoing probe into the January 31, 2024, firing incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence.
According to a report by Mumbai Crime Branch, actor Aayush Sharma, who is also Salman Khan’s brother-in-law, received a threatening email sent via Proton Mail, an end-to-end encrypted service designed to protect user identity.
Police said the sender used the platform to mask their identity and bypass conventional digital tracing mechanisms. The email allegedly claimed association with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Days earlier, 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 network identity and location.
Mumbai Police have 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.
The fresh threats follow the firing incident outside Rohit Shetty’s residence last year, for which the Bishnoi gang had claimed responsibility through a social media post, police said.
In connection with that case, the Mumbai Crime Branch has invoked sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against multiple accused, suspecting the involvement of an organized crime network. (ANI)
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