Mumbai: The Worli Police have detained a 26-year-old man from Vadodara, Gujarat, for allegedly sending a death threat to Bollywood actor Salman Khan via a WhatsApp message. The accused, identified as Mayank Pandya, is currently being interrogated by a police team.
According to police sources, Pandya sent a threatening message to the Mumbai Traffic Police’s WhatsApp helpline, stating, “We will enter your house and kill you,” and also threatened to plant a bomb in Salman Khan’s car. While the message did not mention the Bishnoi gang by name, its tone was reportedly similar to previous threats received by the actor.
Based on the content of the message, the Worli police registered an FIR under sections 351(2) and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). DCP Zone 3, Dattatray Kambale, confirmed that the phone number used to send the message was traced to Vadodara, prompting a police team to travel there and detain the suspect for questioning.
The threatening message was reportedly sent around 6:30 AM on April 13. It was discovered the next day when traffic police were reviewing messages received on their WhatsApp helpline. Police officials said the message also explicitly mentioned planting a bomb in Salman Khan’s vehicle and assured the sender’s intent to kill him.
This is not the first time Salman Khan has received threats. In 2023, he received two threatening emails. The same year, his father, Salim Khan, was also threatened via a note allegedly left by the Bishnoi gang during his morning walk. In April 2024, five rounds were fired outside Salman Khan’s residence by Bishnoi gang operatives. Several arrests were made by the Mumbai Crime Branch in that case.
The actor has since been under Y+ category security. Despite this, threat messages have continued. In July 2024, an individual attempted to breach Salman Khan’s convoy on a motorcycle, and in November 2024, another threat was received via the traffic police WhatsApp number, demanding Rs 5 crore and warning of dire consequences if the demand was not met. An arrest was made in Karnataka in that case.
After the initial round of interrogation, the accused was released upon being served a notice. The Police have now issued another notice, summoning the individual back to Mumbai for further questioning in connection with the ongoing investigation.
