An agency of the Mumbai Crime Branch has called for investigation, after an actor named Aayush Sharma apparently received a threatening email from an individual claiming to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The February 11 event is only bringing more fear within the entertainment world.
The Nature of the Threat
The email was sent by Proton Mail, a widely popular encrypted service that disguises the identity of sender, official sources told Reuters. While the specific details of the message remain confidential, media reports said it contained a ransom demand in cryptocurrency. The claim is currently being verified by the Mumbai Police.
Although the sender spoke in the name of the notorious Bishnoi gang, some investigators believe it may well be the work of a "mischief maker" exploiting the current turmoil to extort money. A Pattern of Intimidation. Aayush Sharma’s case is not unique in that regard. It comes only 24 hours after actor Ranveer Singh allegedly got an extortion threat in Whatsapp voice note asking for a staggering sum of ₹10 crore.
With Ranveer, too, the sender made a statement about Bishnoi and used a VPN so they could conceal their location. The industry is also reeling at the recent fallout from a firing outside the Juhu residence of the filmmaker Rohit Shetty, for which five suspects were recently remanded to police custody until February 17.
Industry Response
In view of these series of alarming threats, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has penned an urgent letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The prevailing environment of fear” is interfering with shooting schedules and sapping the spirit of the whole film industry, the body said, demanding the government act immediately.
Aayush Sharma, who is married to Salman Khan's sister Arpita Khan, has had his security protocols re-evaluated following the incident. For more than a year, Salman Khan himself has been subject to all kinds of high-level security threats coming directly from the same gang.
