Salman Khan threat case: Lyricist arrested for staging death threat for publicity
Accused issued threat in attempt to gain attention for his song, 'Main Sikandar Hun', which references Lawrence Bishnoi gang
PTC Web Desk: In an unexpected turn of events resembling a Bollywood plot, a 24-year-old lyricist from Karnataka has been arrested for orchestrating a death threat against actor Salman Khan and himself. The accused, identified as Sohail Pasha, reportedly issued the threat in an attempt to gain attention for his song, "Main Sikandar Hun," which references the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The Mumbai police arrested Pasha on November 7, following a message sent to the city’s police WhatsApp helpline, claiming that both Salman Khan and the lyricist would be killed unless a ransom of Rs 5 crore was paid. “The songwriter’s condition will be such that he will no longer be able to write songs. If Salman Khan has the courage, he should save them,” read the threat.
The police traced the origin of the message to Raichur, Karnataka. Investigation led to Vyankatesh Narayan, who owned the phone number linked to the threat. Narayan disclosed that a stranger had borrowed his phone to make a call and unknowingly provided the OTP for a WhatsApp installation.
Further probing led to the identification and arrest of Pasha at Manavi village near Raichur. He was brought to Mumbai and presented in court, which remanded him to police custody for two days.
This incident comes amid heightened security concerns for Salman Khan, who has been targeted previously by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang over past issues, including the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. Following gunfire outside his Mumbai residence in April, the actor's security was elevated to Y-plus category.