October 14, 2001	Sunday	Rajab 26, 1422

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MUMBAI, Oct 13: Police in India have shot dead four men who were planning to kill top Bollywood star Aamir Khan, officials said on Saturday. The four worked in Mumbai for Abu Salem, an associate of gangster Dawood Ibrahim, a senior police official said.

“The sharpshooters of Salem’s gang had hatched a conspiracy to gun down Aamir and some others,” the home minister of Maharashtra, Chhagan Bhujbal, said.

They had also planned to kill Ashutosh Gowarikar — director of Aamir Khan’s recent blockbuster, “Lagaan”, movie financier Jamu Sughand and a city-based land developer as part of an extortion threat, Gaikwad said.

“Lagaan” was one of the top grossing films of this year. Aamir produced and starred in the movie.

At 250 million rupees, the “Lagaan’s” budget was more than double that of a normal Bollywood production.—AFP