Salman firing case: Anuj Thapan dies by suicide in custody
In the recent development regarding the Salman Khan house firing incident, one of the suspects, Anuj Thapan, has reportedly died of suicide while in police custody. Thapan, accused of supplying weapons to the gunmen, was hospitalized following the incident, where he died. Mumbai Police has invoked MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) against all involved—identifying Lawrence Bishnoi as the leader in the case.
Earlier, two shooters were apprehended in Gujarat
For those unaware, gunshots were reportedly heard near the Mumbai residence of Khan early Sunday morning on April 14. According to police reports, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle fired several rounds into the air before fleeing the scene. Soon after the incident, two shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, were apprehended in Bhuj, Gujarat. Both hail from Masihi in Bihar's West Champaran district.
Thapan, along with another accused, was detained on technical evidence
On April 23, the crime branch apprehended Thapan in Punjab for allegedly supplying weapons and ammunition to the two shooters. According to the police, Thapan and another accused Sonu Subhash Chander played pivotal roles in the crime and were detained based on technical evidence. Additionally, police recovered a firearm and live cartridges from the Tapi River in Surat on the day of Thapan's arrest.
Mumbai Crime Branch is on the lookout for Anmol Bishnoi
Khan's security was upgraded to Y-Plus in 2022 due to threats from gangsters Bishnoi and Goldy Brar. Subsequently, the Mumbai Crime Branch urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue a lookout notice against Lawrence Bishnoi's brother, Anmol. To note, Anmol confessed to the house firing on Khan's residence shortly after the unsettling incident—unfolded on April 14 near Galaxy Apartments—via his Facebook account.
What do the Bishnois have against Khan?
Last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) revealed Khan's placement on a target list meticulously curated by Lawrence. The brothers' ire stems from the infamous 1998 incident involving Khan's alleged hunting of a blackbuck—an act deemed disrespectful to the Bishnoi community. Previously, too, several death threats have been issued to Khan. Meanwhile, Anmol—who resides in California—fled India after the assassination of Sidhu Moose Wala.
