Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra became the scene of a shocking incident on April 14 when two unidentified assailants opened fire outside his house. The Mumbai Police has made significant progress in the case, but a recent development has overshadowed the investigation. One of the accused, Anuj Thapan (32), who allegedly supplied the weapons used in the attack, died by suicide in police custody on April 26. Thapan was arrested along with another accused, Sonu Subhash Chander (37), in Punjab a week after the incident. The circumstances surrounding Thapan’s suicide are currently under investigation.
Salman Khan dismissal case: arms supplier dies by suicide in police custody
According to a report by NDTV, Thapan, who was arrested in Punjab a few days earlier, committed suicide in a prison toilet despite being guarded by police officers. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, with former police officer PK Jain highlighting the imperative to treat such incidents as murder cases and question all officers present.
Former Maharashtra police chief PK Jain stressed that all deaths in police custody would be treated as murder cases and a thorough investigation would be conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Jain also stressed that prisons should be regularly checked for items that could be used for self-harm.
According to a PTI report, all four accused – Thapan, Chander, the two shooters Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) – are said to be linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) identified Bishnoi’s gang as being involved in serious crimes including kidnapping, murder, extortion and arms and drug smuggling.
The Mumbai Crime Branch claims to have collected strong evidence against Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi, naming them as prime suspects in the case. Anmol Bishnoi reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, citing a long-standing feud between the Bishnoi gang and Salman Khan that stemmed from a blackbuck poaching case in 1998.
Following the attack, authorities significantly strengthened Salman Khan’s security measures and placed him in the Y-Plus category, one of the highest levels of protection offered in India. In addition, Khan was given permission to carry a firearm and is said to have purchased an armored vehicle for his security.
The shooters Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal were arrested shortly after the incident. CCTV footage showed them fleeing the scene on a motorbike. Further investigation led to police recovering two pistols, magazines and bullets suspected to be the weapons used in the attack at River Tapi in Gujarat. Both Gupta and Pal initially remained in police custody until April 29 to allow further investigation into the motive behind the attack.
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