Two alleged Lawrence Bishnoi gang shooters used Instagram reels and YouTube videos to identify Sanjay Dutt’s cars and movements, Free Press Journal reported, citing investigators. After finding heavy security outside Salman Khan’s home, they reportedly surveyed other actors’ residences. Unable to identify Dutt’s vehicle or floor, they later received instructions to focus on Tiger Shroff instead.
After actor Salman Khan, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was allegedly on the radar of shooters linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. After finding heavy security outside Khan’s Galaxy Apartments residence in Bandra, shooter Rehan allegedly informed Anil Pandit, an alleged conspirator linked to the gang, who then instructed him to conduct a recce of Dutt, a longtime friend and colleague of Khan, officials familiar with the investigation said.
According to officials familiar with the probe, shooters Rehan (19) and Phool Singh (19), both natives of Sonipat, Haryana, arrived in Mumbai in the final week of September carrying an illegal country-made firearm procured from Madhya Pradesh. However, they allegedly left the weapon at their hotel on the day they conducted the recce.
In the first week of October, acting on instructions from key gang handler Pandit, the duo conducted a recce outside Salman Khan’s Galaxy Apartments residence in Bandra. Finding the actor’s home protected by a multi-layered security cover, they informed Pandit via encrypted channels that a direct strike on Khan was not feasible. Pandit then allegedly instructed the hitmen to scout the residences of other Bollywood actors and record wide-angle videos of the premises, officials said.
Shooters Visit Actors’ Residences
The shooters then hailed an autorickshaw outside Galaxy Apartments and asked the driver to take them to the residences of other Bollywood actors. The driver allegedly agreed to ferry them around for Rs 400. They visited the residences of Aamir Khan and Emraan Hashmi before reaching Dutt’s residence in Pali Hill, which was their final stop that day, officials said.
At Dutt’s residence, the shooters allegedly tried to establish whether the actor was home. They asked people moving around the area whether “Sanjay Baba” was inside, but could not obtain any useful information. They found the area relatively deserted, with large trees near the entrance gate making it difficult to observe movement around the building, sources said.
Instagram Reels Used To Identify Cars
The shooters then allegedly tried to determine which floor Dutt lived on, which car he travelled in and who regularly accompanied him. To gather this information, they watched videos and reels on YouTube and Instagram showing the actor leaving his residence. They also attempted to match the cars seen in the videos with vehicles parked inside the building premises, sources said. However, unable to establish the actor’s floor or identify his vehicle, the shooters allegedly left the area without obtaining the information they were seeking, sources added.