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Salman Khan House Firing Case: Bombay High Court finds no basis against police after Anuj Thapan’s custodial death
In the Salman Khan house firing case, the Bombay High Court finds no basis for allegations against police in the custodial death of Anuj Thapan, questioning why they would target an 18-year-old.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to firing, shooting, suicide, and weapons, which could be triggering for some readers.
Anuj Thapan, who was allegedly involved in the April 14 shooting near Salman Khan's residence in Bandra, passed away while in police custody. On Friday, the Bombay High Court concluded that there was no evidence to support claims of police wrongdoing related to his death.
As per PTI, a court order from October 25 revealed that a magistrate had submitted a report following a judicial inquiry under section 176 (1-A) of the CrPC. After reviewing the findings, the bench observed that there was no indication that Anuj Thapan's death in custody resulted from police actions, as previously alleged.
After reviewing the report, the bench questioned the petitioner's advocate, Nishant Rana, about the reasoning behind the claim that the police would target someone who was not even the main accused. They pointed out that the 18-year-old, who was not the shooter and had gone to the bathroom alone, posed no threat. The bench emphasized the need to consider the circumstances, acknowledging the mother's emotions while also focusing on the situation at hand.
When the lawyer argued that the deceased was in good health, the judges responded by highlighting that physical strength doesn't equate to mental strength. They noted that no one could fully understand the circumstances that may have led him to take such a drastic step.
The judges pointed out that many factors could contribute to such actions, including financial stress, such as the burden of lawyers’ fees, especially considering he was from outside Maharashtra. They emphasized that there are often unknown factors at play in such situations.
Justice Chavan informed Rana that the CCTV footage showed no indication of anyone accompanying the deceased to the toilet, ruling out that possibility. He further remarked that, under normal circumstances, the individual would have likely struggled or resisted if there had been any external force involved.
Justice Mohite-Dere advised not to be swayed by emotions, acknowledging that a mother will always have suspicions after losing her son. He emphasized the importance of addressing those emotions while recognizing the understandable anxiety and grief a mother experiences in such a tragic situation.
The judge further stated that they could not understand any reason why the police would target an 18-year-old in the Salman Khan house firing case who was not even the main accused.
The judge said, “We cannot fathom any reasons for police to kill the 18-year-old, who was not even the main accused. On the contrary, he would have been the best person to disclose all that has happened. He could have been made an approver. There is nothing we find amiss. Go through the report and satisfy our conscience before any order is passed.”
Anuj Thapan had been held in a crime branch lockup at the Mumbai police headquarters. A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj K Chavan was hearing a petition filed by Rita Devi, who claimed that despite the custodial death, the police had failed to register an FIR.
She sought the immediate registration of an FIR and requested a CBI inquiry into the matter. The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 24 and directed Devi's advocate to review the magistrate's report in the meantime.
On April 14, two men on a motorcycle opened fire outside Sikandar actor's residence in Bandra, Mumbai. Following the attack, the police arrested Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal in Gujarat, while Anuj Thapan was apprehended in Punjab on April 26.
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