Mumbai will not move towards gang wars: says CM Fadnavis on attacks on celebrities

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that celebrities in Mumbai need not panic over the recent firing incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence. He was answering a query raised by a Shiv Sena UBT MLC in the Legislative Council on Wednesday (March 18, 2026). “Security measures have been taken. I assure that Mumbai will not move towards gang wars, so I appeal to celebrities not to be scared,” he said.

A series of high-profile firing incidents in Mumbai between 2024 and 2026, involving actor Salman Khan, politician Baba Siddique, and filmmaker Rohit Shetty, have been linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang by the Mumbai police. The police in Salman Khan’s case arrested at least three people in April 2024; in Baba Siddique’s murder case, the court framed charges against 27 accused; at least 13 arrests have been made in the case of Rohit Shetty in February 2026. Police in all cases pointed out that all the incidents have a pattern of intimidation and organised criminal activity. 

On Wednesday (March 18, 2026), Shiv Sena UBT leader Sachin Ahir raised the concern on the floor of the house.

Mr. Fadnavis said that the brother of the prime accused, Shubham Lonkar, linked to the Bishnoi gang, has been arrested, and that the police are making efforts to arrest Lonkar too, who is from Akola and who has a track record of threatening political leaders. At the same time, he said, “Another accused, Anmol Bishnoi, who is under the arrest of National Investigation Agency (NIA), will also be taken into our custody and brought to Mumbai.”