Shots were fired outside Salman Khan’s residence on April 14
Mumbai:
The custodial death of an accused in the case related to firing outside actor Salman Khan’s home has left Mumbai Police red-faced. Senior officers have told the media that the Crime Investigation Department — also called CID — is investigating the death of Anuj Thapan.
Thapan, a resident of Punjab, had allegedly supplied weapons to the shooters who fired shots outside the actor’s Bandra home on April 14. He was arrested a week back and lodged in a lock-up of the crime branch near the Mumbai Police headquarters.
According to police, Thapan and five others were in the lock-up last morning. Around 11 am, he went to the toilet. When he did not come out for a long time, cops forced open the door and found him hanging by a bedsheet, police have said. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died during treatment.
A case of accidental death has been registered and the CID will probe if there was any negligence on the part of police personnel posted near the lock-up. A senior police officer said five cops were on duty near the lock-up and CCTV cameras are also in place. “After examining the CCTV footage, we will find out what exactly happened,” he said. The autopsy will be conducted at JJ Hospital today.
Other inmates of the lock-up have said Thapan was anxious about the case and worried that he may not get bail, police sources have said.
Officials of the Mumbai Police crime branch arrested Thapan and Sonu Kumar Bishnoi from Punjab’s Fazilka on April 26. They had allegedly supplied weapons to Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta, who are accused of firing at Salman Khan’s residence.
Thapan’s family has alleged that he was murdered in prison. His brother Abhishek told news agency ANI, “We received a call today and were told that Anuj has died by suicide. He was not the kind to die by suicide. He has been murdered. We want justice”
His lawyers have alleged foul play and demanded an inquiry. “All four accused had earlier told the court that they feared for their safety. Within 48 hours, one of them is dead. This raises major questions about police’s functioning,” lawyer Amit Mishra told NDTV.
Among the accused in the firing case are gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi. Anmol Bishnoi had earlier claimed responsibility for the firing outside Salman Khan’s home. The police have invoked charges under Indian Penal Code and the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against the accused.