One accused claims direct communication; cops explore if plot mirrored tactics used in previous high-profile killings; the Crime Branch is yet to determine if Bishnoi sent them to Mumbai to carry out the hit.
The accused, Vikas Thakur, admitted to having multiple conversations with Anmol Bishnoi. Representation Pic/istock
A month after the arrest of five alleged contract shooters from the Andheri area, Mumbai Crime Branch sources have revealed that one of the accused has confessed to being in direct contact with Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of the jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. However, the Crime Branch is yet to determine if Bishnoi sent them to Mumbai to carry out the hit.
The anti-extortion cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch had arrested the five men last month, recovering seven firearms and 21 live rounds from their possession from a hotel in Andheri. According to sources, during interrogation, one of the accused, Vikas Thakur, admitted to having multiple conversations with Anmol Bishnoi.
The Crime Branch is now probing whether the accused had received instructions from Anmol and if he had been sent to Mumbai under Anmol’s orders. Investigators suspect that the accused were in the city to execute a major hit, similar to the Baba Siddique murder, where shooters were given the target’s name only after arriving in Mumbai. However, the Mumbai Crime Branch foiled their plans even before they got the target’s name. “During interrogation, it appeared that the accused did not know the intended target, but they had been stationed in Mumbai for a major hit,” an officer said on the condition of anonymity.
Sources further revealed that the five accused were promised Rs 50 lakh for carrying out the planned attack. Earlier, police suspected that Salman Khan could have been the intended target. The accused arrived in Mumbai on March 28, the same day as the premiere launch of Khan’s film, Sikandar. However, authorities are yet to confirm whether Khan was indeed the target or if it was another prominent businessman. Digital evidence recovered from the accused’s mobile phones has provided investigators with crucial leads.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sumit Kumar Dilawar, Vikas Thakur, Devendra Saxena, Shreyansh Yadav, and Vivek Kumar Gupta. The Crime Branch found that all the accused have criminal records under the Arms Act and had met in a prison in Madhya Pradesh.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
