Bollywood superstar Salman Khan allegedly offered blank cheques to the Bishnoi community to settle the blackbuck poaching case, according to Ramesh Bishnoi, the cousin of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
In light of recent threats from Lawrence towards Salman Khan and the actor’s family denying any involvement in the 1998 blackbuck poaching incident, Ramesh made these startling claims in a recent interview.
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Although Salman Khan has denied hunting blackbucks in a past interview, Ramesh insists on Khan’s participation in the killing of the endangered species, stating that the actor proposed a blank cheque to community leaders after the incident sparked public outrage. “If we were motivated by money, we would have accepted it,” he remarked.
Ramesh also responded to Salim Khan, Salman’s father, who suggested that Lawrence Bishnoi is targeting his son for financial gain and extortion. “Our blood was boiling at that time,” he said, clarifying that the imprisoned gangster possesses 110 acres of land in India and is financially secure enough not to resort to extortion.
What is the Blackbuck Case?
Salman Khan faces accusations of illegally hunting and killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, during the filming of “Hum Saath Saath Hain” in October 1998. The incident provoked significant backlash, especially from the Bishnoi community, who regard blackbucks as sacred.
Since then, Khan has faced numerous life threats, and Lawrence Bishnoi, who was only 5 years old at the time of the incident, has openly stated intentions to take revenge on the actor. Earlier this year, Khan was attacked when two assailants fired shots outside his Bandra residence; Lawrence’s brother Anmol claimed responsibility for the assault via social media.
Following the recent murder of former lawmaker and NCP politician Baba Siddique—reportedly due to his connections with Khan—the Bishnoi community has repeatedly called for Khan to apologize by visiting their main temple in Rajasthan and seeking forgiveness. However, Salim Khan stated in a recent interview that such an apology is out of the question for Salman, as it would imply an admission of guilt for a crime he insists he did not commit.
