The Bishnoi community has rallied behind jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, according to his cousin Ramesh Bishnoi, who urged actor Salman Khan to apologize over the blackbuck hunting incident. “Salman Khan should apologize. His family is playing with our religious sentiments,” Ramesh told NDTV, warning that if Khan doesn’t, “the law will do its job.”
Salman Khan was convicted of hunting a blackbuck, a sacred animal to the Bishnoi community, while filming ‘Hum Sath Sath Hain’ in Jodhpur in 1998. The Rajasthan High Court found him guilty in 2018 and sentenced him to five years in prison. Though Khan challenged the decision in the Supreme Court and was granted bail, Lawrence Bishnoi openly threatened to kill the actor for offending the community in 2018. Amid recent threats allegedly from Bishnoi‘s gang, security has been increased at Khan’s residence.
Ramesh explained that the blackbuck incident deeply angered the Bishnoi community, known for its devotion to wildlife conservation, and reaffirmed their support for Lawrence. “Our society loves wildlife and trees. When Salman Khan killed the blackbuck, every Bishnoi’s blood was boiling… Today the entire Bishnoi community stands with Lawrence in this matter,” he said.
He also claimed Salman Khan previously offered money to the Bishnoi community, which they rejected. “If we were hungry for money, we would have taken it at that time,” Ramesh said, disputing accusations that Lawrence’s gang is motivated by financial gain.
Ramesh defended Lawrence, emphasizing that while Salman has been convicted, “Has any crime been proven against Lawrence in any court?”
On claims of Bishnoi’s gang involvement in other crimes, including the Baba Siddique murder, Ramesh insisted that only a thorough investigation would reveal the truth and that Lawrence was not involved in extortion. He also shared that Lawrence was academically gifted, securing a scholarship, and expressed disbelief at his rise to becoming a notorious gangster.