The Senior Superintendent of Police, Police Control Room, Jammu, Shakeel Beigh, also defended the escort provided to Sanjay, saying they had no choice given the threat perception regarding the family. “Tomorrow if we arrest Dawood Ibrahim, our biggest enemy, there will be one full company deployed for his protection,” Beigh noted.

As for the actor and his friends, having flown down to Jammu on a chartered plane, they left for Katra soon after and reached the town by evening. They were scheduled to proceed towards the Vaishno Devi shrine at around 8.30 pm, but their programme was delayed by nearly two hours following reports of landslides at Himkoti.

Finally, around 10.30 pm, the actor set off on horse back, with full police protection.