In an embarrassing development for the Mumbai police, one of the key accused in the sensational firing near Salman Khan’s Bandra residence died at a hospital after an alleged suicide attempt in the Mumbai police crime branch lock-up.
Anuj Thapan (32) — who had been arrested from Punjab on April 25 — was found hanging in a toilet at the Mumbai police lock-up. He was immediately rushed in a critical condition to the nearby St. George Hospital, where he was declared dead on admission.
Thapan — who had been arrested along with one more accused Sonu Bishnoi — had been lodged in the lock-up after he was sent to police custody till May 8.
Thapan was reportedly staying with ten other inmates when the incident took place. The incident, involving the death of an accused in police custody, is being seen as a clear case of negligence that has claimed a life.
Thapan is among the four accused who were arrested in connection with the firing that took place near Salman Khan’s Bandra (west) residence “Galaxy Apartment” in north-west Mumbai on April 14. Less than 48 hours after the incident, the Mumbai police crime branch sleuths arrested two shooters — Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Shrijogendra Pal (23) — from Bhuj town in Gujarat and brought them to Mumbai.
Thapan and one more accused Sonu Bishnoi, who had allegedly supplied arms and ammunition to Gupta and Pal — were arrested subsequently by the Mumbai crime branch sleuths from Punjab.
