Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's Bandra residence became the scene of a shocking incident on April 14 when two unidentified assailants opened fire outside his home. The Mumbai Police have made significant progress in the case, but a recent development has cast a shadow on the investigation. One of the accused, Anuj Thapan (32), who allegedly supplied the weapons used in the attack, died by suicide while in police custody on April 26. Thapan, along with another accused, Sonu Subhash Chander (37), were arrested in Punjab a week after the incident. The circumstances surrounding Thapan's suicide are under investigation.
As per a report in NDTV, Thapan, arrested in Punjab days earlier, took his own life in a lock-up toilet despite being guarded by police officers. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, with former police officer PK Jain highlighting the mandatory procedure of treating such incidents as murder cases and questioning all officers present.
Former Maharashtra senior police officer PK Jain highlighted that all deaths in police custody are treated as murder cases, and a thorough investigation will be conducted by the CID (Criminal Investigation Department). Jain further emphasized that lock-ups should be routinely checked for any objects that could be used for self-harm.
According to a report in PTI, all four accused – Thapan, Chander, the two shooters Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) – are believed to be linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) identifies Bishnoi's gang as being involved in serious crimes including kidnapping, murder, extortion, and smuggling of weapons and drugs.
The Mumbai Crime Branch claims to have gathered strong evidence against Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi, who they have named as the prime suspects in the case. Anmol Bishnoi is reported to have claimed responsibility for the attack, citing a long-standing feud between the Bishnoi gang and Salman Khan stemming from a blackbuck poaching case in 1998.
Following the attack, authorities significantly bolstered Salman Khan's security detail, elevating it to the Y-plus category, one of the highest levels of protection offered in India. Additionally, Khan was granted permission to carry a firearm and reportedly acquired an armoured vehicle for his safety.
The arrest of the shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, happened shortly after the incident. CCTV footage captured them fleeing the scene on a motorcycle. Further investigation led the police to recover two pistols, magazines, and bullets believed to be the weapons used in the attack from Gujarat's Tapi River. Both Gupta and Pal were initially remanded in police custody until April 29 to allow for further investigation into the motive behind the attack. ALSO READ: Salman Khan meets British MP Barry Gardiner in London; latter posts, ‘Tiger is Alive’
