Salman Khan firing case: Accused Anuj Thapan dies after suicide attempt

Anuj Thapan, accused of supplying the firearm involved in the shooting incident outside Salman Khan's residence on April 14, died after attempting suicide while in custody at the crime branch lockup in the police commissioner's office in Mumbai on Wednesday.

News reports stated that Thapan hanged himself inside the toilet of the lock-up using a bedsheet. Officials said that Thapan was rushed to the GT Hospital, where he was declared dead during treatment.
 

Anuj Thapan (32) has been accused of supplying weapons to two people who fired shots outside Salman Khan's house in Mumbai on April 14. Thapan, along with another suspect identified as Sonu Subhash Chander (37), was arrested by the Mumbai Police in Punjab on April 25.

 

The shooting incident took place outside Salman Khan's Galaxy residence in Bandra during the early hours of April 14, when two men arrived on a motorcycle and fired five rounds. One of the bullets hit the balcony of the actor's home. Following the incident, the Mumbai Crime Branch, on April 15, arrested both the accused, Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) from Gujarat's Kutch district.

The Mumbai Crime Branch characterised the attack as a "carefully planned assault," supported by CCTV footage showing one of the suspects firing toward Salman Khan's residence.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Kutch West, Mahendra Bagadiya, had said that probe suggested that all the accused had been hired by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to open fire at Khan's house.

On April 27, the Mumbai police implemented the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in connection with the firing incident outside actor Salman Khan's residence in Bandra on April 14.

The MCOCA provisions have been applied to shooters Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21), as well as Sonu Kumar Chander Bishnoi (37) and Anuj Thapan (32), who are accused of supplying two firearms and bullets. Additionally, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi are listed as wanted accused in the case.

(With agency inputs)