Singer Who Ruled Millions’ Hearts Was Killed by Underworld Don; Had Warned Police of His Killer

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): Gulshan Kumar, known as the 'Cassette King' of the Indian music industry, was shot dead in broad daylight on 12 August 1997. The death of Gulshan Kumar, who was shot with 16 bullets while returning from a temple, shocked the entire country. But a revelation related to this high-profile murder case came to light, which shocked everyone.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria's book 'Let Me Say It Now' revealed a shocking codeword related to Gulshan Kumar's murder. In the book, he told that he had received information through intelligence sources before Gulshan Kumar's murder. When Maria asked his informant, 'Who is going to take down the wicket?', he got the answer, 'Abu Salem.' Here 'taking down the wicket' meant committing murder, and Abu Salem was an underworld don of the 90s. This answer of the informant made it clear that the plan to kill Gulshan Kumar was already made on the instructions of Abu Salem.

Let us tell you that Gulshan Kumar, born on 5 May 1956 in Daryaganj, Delhi, was an ardent devotee of Vaishno Devi and Lord Shiva. His father used to run a juice shop on the streets of Delhi, and at an early age Gulshan started working with his father. But his passion for music took him in a different direction. He brought a revolution in the music industry through devotional songs. Gulshan Kumar, who sold cassettes at a cheap price and brought devotional music to every home, made T-Series a music empire. But the rapidly growing success and money brought him to the eyes of the underworld. Abu Salem had demanded Rs 5 lakh from Gulshan Kumar in extortion, which Gulshan Kumar refused. He had said, 'I will donate this money to the temple, but will not give it to you people.' This refusal led him to death.

Maria mentioned the entire incident in the book. He wrote that the informer had already provided intelligence to the police. He had told that he would get Gulshan Kumar attacked near the Shiva temple. Maria asked, 'Is the news confirmed?' In response to this, the informer said, 'Sir, the news is absolutely confirmed, otherwise why would I tell you.' Maria further wrote that after getting this information on the phone, he started thinking what to do. He told that the next day after getting information from the informer, I called Bollywood producer-director Mahesh Bhatt. I asked him if he recognized Gulshan Kumar? At first Mahesh Bhatt was shocked to receive my call early in the morning, but he replied that yes, I recognize Gulshan Kumar. I am directing one of his films. Bhatt also confirmed that Gulshan Kumar goes to the Shiva temple in the morning. On August 12, 1997, it was exactly as the informer had told. Gulshan Kumar had just come out of the Shiva temple after paying obeisance when he was fired upon. Rakesh Maria also admitted in his book that he still regrets that despite having information, he could not stop that murder. Gulshan Kumar's murder shocked the country, but his legacy still remains. His son Bhushan Kumar has made T-Series one of the biggest music brands in the world, while daughters Tulsi and Khushali are also active in the music and film world.