Comedian Munawar Faruqui was on Lawrence Bishnoi's hitlist: Report
What's the story
In a shocking revelation, it has been reported that stand-up comedian and Bigg Boss 17 winner Munawar Faruqui was on the hitlist of notorious incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
The information came to light through intelligence agencies, which reportedly saved Faruqui from an assassination attempt in September.
Per reports, the comedian was subsequently moved to Mumbai from Delhi for his safety, under the protection of Mumbai Police.
Assassination plot
Bishnoi's gang reportedly planned to assassinate Faruqui in Delhi
Per a report by Times of India, the assassination was planned during an event Faruqui was supposed to attend in Delhi.
Reportedly, two henchmen of Bishnoi were on the same flight as the comedian from Mumbai to Delhi and had booked rooms at the same hotel where he was staying.
The motive behind this murder plot is believed to be Bishnoi's ambition to establish himself as a "Hindu underworld don."
Security measures
Faruqui's security tightened amid ongoing threat
Reportedly, the Delhi Police acted swiftly on intelligence reports warning of a threat to Faruqui's life.
Despite the foiled assassination attempt, sources say that the threat to Faruqui's life still looms. In response, Mumbai Police have increased the comedian's security.
Meanwhile, authorities are probing if the recent murder of Baba Siddiqui is also connected to Bishnoi's ambitions or if it was because of Siddiqui's proximity to actor Salman Khan.
He was shot dead on Saturday (October 12).
Ongoing investigation
Investigation into Shah's murder led to Faruqui's threat discovery
The threat to Faruqui was unearthed while interrogating suspects in a recent shooting incident in Greater Kailash-I, which led to the murder of businessman Nadir Shah.
The suspects revealed they had been asked to scout The Suryaa hotel in New Delhi for a planned murder but were initially unaware of the target.
As investigations progressed, it became clear that Faruqi was also a potential target.