Bollywood under threat: from the blackbuck case to the Juhu firing

This timeline reports established facts, court decisions, police charges and claims made by others, and labels each clearly. Allegations and claims of responsibility have not been proved unless a court has ruled on them. Last updated: 27 October 2026.

Over the past few years, a series of threats and shootings has made security a serious concern for India’s film industry. Many of these incidents have been linked by police or by claims on social media to a criminal network associated with Lawrence Bishnoi. Here is how the story developed.

1998: the blackbuck case

In October 1998, during the shooting of the film Hum Saath-Saath Hain near Jodhpur, actor Salman Khan was accused of hunting blackbuck, an antelope protected by law and held sacred by the Bishnoi community, whose members filed the complaints. In April 2018 a Jodhpur court convicted Salman Khan in one of the cases and sentenced him to five years in prison; he was granted bail, and his appeal was pending at the time of writing. His co-stars in the case were acquitted. Salman Khan has denied the charges.

2018–2022: threats

From 2018, Lawrence Bishnoi publicly threatened Salman Khan, linking the threats to the blackbuck case and demanding an apology. Police in several states investigated alleged plans by associates of the gang. In 2022 the Maharashtra government increased the actor’s security after a threatening letter.

April 2024: firing outside Salman Khan’s home

On 14 April 2024, two men on a motorcycle fired shots outside Salman Khan’s apartment building in Bandra. No one was hurt. Mumbai Police arrested several people and later filed a chargesheet naming Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi among the accused. The trial had not concluded at the time of writing.

October 2024: the killing of Baba Siddique

On 12 October 2024, former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, known for his friendships with film stars including Salman Khan, was shot dead in Bandra. A social-media post claimed responsibility on behalf of the gang. Police arrested a number of people and investigated the claim.

February 2026: shots at Rohit Shetty’s home

In the early hours of 1 February 2026, shots were fired at the Juhu building where filmmaker Rohit Shetty lives. No one was injured. An associate of the gang claimed responsibility online, and police arrested several accused within days.

October 2026: firing at Tiger Shroff’s car

On 18 October 2026, gunmen fired at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Juhu. He escaped serious injury, but his driver and a passer-by were hurt. Police arrested several accused in multiple states. Claims of responsibility attributed to a gang associate, and an audio message demanding an apology from Salman Khan, were being verified by police. See our detailed article on the Juhu firing.

How the industry and police have responded

• Security — several film personalities have increased private security, and the state has provided police protection to those considered at risk.
• Investigations across states — arrests in these cases have taken place in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere, showing how widely alleged networks operate.
• International cooperation — Canada’s listing of the gang as a terrorist entity in 2025 and a US indictment in 2026 have added international pressure.
• Industry voices — film workers’ associations have called for stronger protection for actors, crew and their families.

Questions that remain

Courts have yet to rule on most of these cases, and police have not confirmed every claim made online. What is clear is that the threats have changed daily life for some of India’s best-known film personalities — and raised wider questions about organised crime, social media and public safety.

For background, see our explainer on Lawrence Bishnoi.