Who is the Noida tattoo artist arrested for issuing death threat to Salman Khan?

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan earlier this week once again found himself at the centre of a chilling death threat, accompanied by a demand for Rs 2 crore.

Following the threat, the authorities swept into action and traced the source to a 20-year-old from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The young man was subsequently nabbed and remanded into custody. This arrest is the latest in a series of incidents targeting the actor, who has received multiple threats in recent weeks.

The timing of these threats has intensified concerns, particularly after the recent murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique—a close friend of Khan—by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a group known for its hostility towards the actor.

Here’s a closer look at what’s known about these threats and the young man from Noida now at the centre of this unsettling episode.

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A 20-year-old arrested from Noida

Earlier this week, the Mumbai traffic police received an anonymous message, threatening that actor Salman Khan would be killed if did not pay Rs 2 crore, reported The Indian Express citing an official.

Another similar message was also sent to the office of Zeeshan Siddique, son of the late politician Baba Siddique, warning that both the actor and the MLA were at risk and a conspiracy was being planned to kill them. 

Following the threats, the Mumbai police registered an FIR against an unidentified person under sections 308(2), 308(5), and 351(1) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation was launched into the matter.

The crime branch traced the number of the message to Noida after which the local police arrested a 20-year-old called Gufran Khan from the city's Sector 39 area, reported the Asian Age.

Gufran, who worked as a tattoo artist, was then transported to Mumbai under a transit remand. After his court appearance, he was placed in police custody until November 4.

During questioning, Gufran reportedly admitted that he issued the threats with the intent of making money, hoping that either Siddique or Khan would respond out of fear and provide him with cash.

Gufran reportedly admitted that he issued the threats with the intent of making money, hoping that either Siddique or Khan would respond out of fear and provide him with cash.  Image courtesy: Instagram/SalmanKhan

According to sources quoted by NDTV, he further revealed that he had planned to send an additional message, offering “information” in exchange for money, but was arrested before he could carry out the plan.

Death threats issued to Khan

In recent weeks, Salman Khan has faced a string of death threats, intensifying concerns for the Bollywood actor’s safety.

Earlier this week, 20-year-old Mohammad Tayyab Ansari from Noida called a Mumbai police “helpline” claiming to be Lawrence Bishnoi's brother and issuing a threat to the actor.

Ansari, who works as a carpenter, was detained by Noida police in Sector 92 and later handed over to the Mumbai police. While Ansari made this bold claim, initial investigations found no direct links to the Bishnoi gang, The New Indian Express reported.

Prior to this incident, police also arrested Shaikh Hussain Shaikh Mausin, a 24-year-old vegetable vendor from Jamshedpur, after he allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to the Mumbai police demanding Rs 5 crore in ransom.

<span class="selectable-text copyable-text">In recent weeks, Salman Khan has faced a string of death threats, intensifying concerns for the Bollywood actor’s safety. </span>PTI

Shortly after, a follow-up message from the same number claimed that the ransom demand was a mistake.

These threats come just months after shots were fired outside Khan’s Mumbai residence in April, a crime attributed to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. A few months back, the Navi Mumbai police also uncovered a plot by the gang to kill Khan, leading to security enhancement for the actor.

Khan has reportedly been on the Bishnoi gang’s radar due to his involvement in the infamous blackbuck hunting case in Rajasthan during the filming of 'Hum Saath Saath Hain', a longstanding grievance for the gang.

With input from agencies