Mumbai Police have arrested a 24-year-old lyricist who sent death threats to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and himself in an alleged attempt to gain publicity for his song. The incident has highlighted the lengths some might go to for fame in the entertainment industry.

Threat and Arrest Details

Sohail Pasha, the lyricist of the song “Main Sikandar Hun” from an upcoming Salman Khan film, was apprehended in Raichur, Karnataka. The arrest came after Mumbai Police received threatening messages on their WhatsApp helpline on November 7, demanding ₹5 crore and claiming to be from the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The threatening message stated that the “songwriter’s condition will be such that he will no longer be able to write songs” and challenged Salman Khan to “save them.” Police investigation revealed that Pasha himself was behind these threats, orchestrating the scheme to generate publicity for his song.

Investigation Breakthrough

The police investigation led to an interesting discovery when they traced the mobile number used for sending threats. The number belonged to one Vyankatesh Narayan, a local resident of Raichur. Upon questioning, it was revealed that Narayan had been approached by a stranger (later identified as Pasha) who requested to use his phone for making a call.

Instead of making a call, Pasha used Narayan’s number to obtain a WhatsApp OTP and set up the threatening messages. This clever but illegal scheme ultimately led to his downfall when the crime branch team traced him to Manavi village near Raichur.

Contextual Significance

The fake threats came at a particularly sensitive time, as Salman Khan has been facing genuine security concerns. The actor’s security was recently upgraded to Y-plus category following an April incident where shots were fired outside his Mumbai residence. The real Lawrence Bishnoi gang has previously targeted Khan over alleged grievances related to a 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

Legal Consequences

Pasha was produced before a Mumbai court, which remanded him to police custody for two days. The case serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of seeking publicity through illegal means, particularly by exploiting real security threats faced by public figures.

The incident underscores the growing challenge of distinguishing genuine security threats from publicity stunts in an age where social media and instant messaging platforms can be easily misused for such purposes.

Mumbai Police’s swift action in this case demonstrates their serious approach to handling threats against celebrities, whether real or staged, especially given the current security climate surrounding Salman Khan.

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Source: ndtv.com