Salman firing case: Bodyguard testifies attack was 'attempt to kill'
What's the story
The personal bodyguard of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has testified in a special court that the shooting incident outside the actor's residence in April 2024 was an "attempt to kill him." The bodyguard, who is also the complainant in this case, was the first witness to testify when the trial began last month, reported PTI.
Incident details
What happened on the morning of the attack
On April 14, 2024, two men on a motorcycle opened fire outside Khan's Bandra residence, Galaxy Apartments. The bodyguard testified that he started his regular night shift at 7:00pm on April 13, and security around the actor had been tightened due to threats from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. "At around 4:00am we heard sounds like firecrackers. I checked the CCTV and saw two persons on a bike, wearing helmets, firing toward the building," he said.
Pursuit of assailants
Assailants fired 4 to 5 rounds before fleeing
The bodyguard further testified that the assailants fired four to five rounds before he and the other guards immediately went outside through the main gate. He added that both motorcyclists fled toward "I Love Bandra" point, and from there they went toward Mehboob Studios Road. The prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Mahesh Mule, presented CCTV footage in court showing a motorcycle arriving outside the gate, which was identified by the witness.
Actor's location
Bodyguard clarifies Khan was in his bedroom during the attack
The bodyguard clarified that at the time of the attack, Khan was in his bedroom on the first floor. He asserted that "the firing was an attempt to kill the actor." During cross-examination by defense counsel Viral Babar, he confirmed he was inside the security cabin when he first heard the noise but had no "personal knowledge" of specific threats issued to Khan.
Additional testimony
A police guard also testified in court
Another witness, a police guard, testified that he was in the lobby during the incident and did not see the firing, but later saw bullet shells at the spot. The shooters were ultimately identified as Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, who allegedly carried out the attack. Police further claimed that Mohammed Rafiq Sardar Chaudhari did recce of Galaxy Apartments two days before. He shot a video and sent it to Anmol Bishnoi, a wanted accused and brother of Bishnoi.