Mathura SSP suspends three cops after Lawrence Bishnoi's shooter remarks go viral

Mathura SSP suspends police personnel after Lawrence Bishnoi gang sharpshooter's viral video; Salman Khan receives death threats.

Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shailesh Pandey has suspended three police personnel after a video statement of Yogesh, a sharpshooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, went viral.

The sharpshooter was seen speaking to local media crews while being in police custody at the refinery police station. Shooter Yogesh had said that his encounter in Mathura was fake. He had given a statement on NCP leader Baba Siddique, who was shot dead in Mumbai.

Sub-inspector Ramsanehi, head constable Vipin and constable Sanjay posted at the refinery police station have been suspended by SSP Pandey. Yogesh, involved in a murder case in Delhi, was arrested by the Delhi Special Cell and Mathura Police in a joint action on Thursday (October 17, 2024).

Delhi police’s special cell in a joint operation with Mathura Police arrested Yogesh, a shooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Hashim Baba gang, on Thursday (October 19, 2024) in connection with the murder of a 35-year-old gym owner. SSP Mathura Shailesh Pandey said, “In a joint operation between police and the Delhi Special Cell team, a sharpshooter named Yogesh, who is said to have linkages with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, has been injured in an encounter. He has been wanted in a murder case in Delhi.”

The gym owner, identified as Nadir Shah, was shot dead in full public view in South Delhi on September 12, 2024. Meanwhile, the security has been tightened at the residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan after fresh death threats were received demanding an extortion payment of ₹ 5 crore. This comes after the Mumbai Police said that a threatening message was received on the WhatsApp number of the Mumbai Traffic Police, demanding ₹ 5 crore from actor Salman Khan “to end his long-standing rivalry with Lawrence Bishnoi.”

The person who sent the message claimed to be close to Lawrence Bishnoi gang and claimed to put the actor’s life in danger if not provided with the extortion money. The sender claimed, “Don’t take it lightly, if Salman Khan wants to stay alive and wants to end the enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, then he will have to pay ₹ 5 crore. If the money is not given, Salman Khan’s condition will be worse than Baba Siddique.”

The incident comes in the backdrop of the recent murder of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique. Following Siddique’s assassination, which occurred outside his office on October 12, 2024, the police have intensified their search for the suspects involved in his death. A look-out circular was issued for Shubham Lonkar, along with two additional suspects, Shiv Kumar Gautam and Zeeshan Akhtar, who are believed to be trying to flee to Nepal.