November 8, 2024
NEW DELHI – Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood megastar and one of India’s most influential cultural icons, has once again been targeted with a death threat. The death threat led to the swift arrest of a man identified as Faizan Khan in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on charges of issuing the threat.
The chilling threat was made on November 5, when Faizan Khan allegedly called a police officer involved in Khan’s security detail, making ominous statements about ending the actor’s life. The Mumbai Police, demonstrating a high level of urgency, traced the call’s origin to Raipur’s Pandri area, where the number used was registered under Faizan’s name. The police team, dispatched from Mumbai, located the accused at his residence in Raipur and took him into custody.
During interrogation, Faizan Khan asserted that his mobile phone had been misplaced some days earlier, and he had lodged a report of the loss with Khamhardih police station in Raipur. Despite providing documentation to substantiate his claim, authorities remain cautious, instructing him to present himself at Bandra Police Station in Mumbai for further questioning. The investigation, though in early stages, underscores the persistence of threats directed at Bollywood’s most iconic figures, especially Shah Rukh Khan, who continues to command a massive global following.
In response to this latest threat, the Mumbai Police have heightened security measures around Shah Rukh Khan’s Bandra residence, Mannat. Barricades have been set up outside, and security personnel have been put on high alert. Authorities are reportedly contemplating even more stringent security protocols, recalling that fellow Bollywood superstar Salman Khan faced similar threats from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, resulting in Y plus category protection.
Shah Rukh Khan is no stranger to menacing threats. Following the release of blockbuster films Pathaan and Jawan last year, he received similar death threats, leading authorities to assign him Y plus security. Although such measures provided some reassurance, the persistence of these threats suggests a concerning trend.
Coincidentally, this latest incident occurred just after Khan’s 59th birthday on November 2. For the first time, fans were deprived of his customary appearance on the balcony of Mannat, an annual ritual that draws massive crowds. Out of precaution, he refrained from greeting fans this year, though he later attended a celebratory event at the Rang Mandir auditorium in Bandra, where security was visibly tight.