MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police will soon review the security of comedian Kapil Sharma, said an officer on Friday. Sharma’s cafe in Canada was attacked by unidentified men on Thursday. He has also allegedly received threats via social media through audio clips from members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
On Thursday, unidentified men shot at Kap’s Cafe on 85 Avenue, Scott Road, Surrey, leaving behind bullet holes and shattered glass. Opened by the comedian on July 4, the cafe has endured two attacks already. Earlier on July 10, another unidentified person fired a gun outside the cafe near the same spot. No injuries were reported in these incidents, said the officer.
In light of these two attacks, the Mumbai police said they would soon review security for Sharma. “Senior officers of the Mumbai Police will take a call immediately about it. Plainclothes policemen are already deployed around Sharma wherever he shoots,” said a senior officer from the Mumbai Police.
On Thursday, a man named Goldy Dhillon, claiming to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media post.
“Jai Shree Ram. Sat Shree Akaal, Ram Ram to all brothers. The firing that happened today at Kapil Sharma’s Kap’s Café in Surrey has been claimed by Goldy Dhillon, affiliated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang,” read the post.
He further threatened to target Sharma in Mumbai. “We called him, but he did not answer the call, so we had to take action. If he still does not respond, then we will take the next action in Mumbai soon.”
On Friday, an audio clip by one Harry Boxer, who is believed to be working with Lawrence Bishnoi and settled abroad, went viral on social media. He said the motive behind the attack was that Sharma had invited actor Salman Khan to his studio.
“Whoever calls the actor or is with Salman Khan, we will target him,” warned Boxer, who has several cases against him.
In the July 10 firing, Harjit Singh Laddi, who is affiliated with the militant organisation Babbar Khalsa International and is wanted in the country, claimed responsibility via a social media post. He said the attack was in retaliation for Sharma’s distasteful jokes that hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community.
Since the suspects claimed to have called the comedian, the Mumbai Police will also look into whether any threat calls and messages were sent to the actor’s phone.
“We have taken the threat very seriously and will provide him with adequate security,” said another officer.
The crime branch team picked up five people from the Cotton Green area on Wednesday. They were identified as Sunny Kumar, 26, Ravi Angrez, 23, Rahul Singh, 27, Anuj Kumar, 28, and Aditya Kaushik, 23, all residents of Haryana, said the officer. The police officers are questioning them and have recovered three revolvers, one pistol, and 51 cartridges from them.
Following Thursday’s attack, they got a second remand till August 12. “Bishnoi gang operates from Haryana, so we are questioning the accused very carefully. They claim they had come to sell the weapons. We are checking all the details,” said the officer.
A team headed by Rahul Rakh of the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai Virar police had arrested seven men, allegedly including a Lawrence Bishnoi gang member. Two country-made pistols, eight live cartridges, ropes, and eight mobile phones were recovered from the vehicles they were using. “We are questioning them too, and they are claiming they were about to carry out an armed robbery. On Thursday, we got to extend their police custody till 12,” said another officer.