Punjabi singer and rapper AP Dhillon is the latest cultural target of organised crime as gunshots were heard outside his home in Vancouver, Canada.
According to a report in NDTV, a man named Rohit Godara belonging to the dreaded Lawrence Bishnoi gang, has claimed responsibility for the shots being fired.
Earlier, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was targeted on similar lines where shots were fired outside his home in Mumbai and security was beefed up considerably for the actor and his family.
This latest incident involving AP Dhillon underscores the serious security threats and highlights the challenges faced by celebrities in maintaining their safety amidst such threats.
AP Dhillon, a popular British-Indian singer renowned for his distinctive blend of Punjabi music and contemporary urban sound, rose to fame with hits like "Brown Munde". He's now a prominent figure in the global music scene, known for his innovative fusion of traditional Punjabi beats with modern rap and trap influences. His style and lyrics often reflect his experiences and cultural identity, resonating with a diverse audience.
It's yet to be known why AP Dhillon is being targeted, but Khan was allegedly targeted because of the actor's involvement in a controversial "blackbucks hunting case" from the early 1990s. In 1998, Khan was accused of killing endangered blackbucks during the filming of 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Lawrence Bishnoi, a prominent member of the Bishnoi community -- known for his advocacy for animal rights -- made his animosity toward Khan for this incident and has repeated threatened to kill him. Bishnoi's gang reportedly seeks retribution, linking their criminal activities to their longstanding grievances over the blackbuck case.
According to reports, such cases of targeted violence underline the complex interplay between personal vendettas and organised crime in the entertainment industry.