GUWAHATI: The Bombay High Court has directed the Mumbai police to provide a status report on the ongoing inquiries into the death of Anuj Thapan, an accused in the case related to firing near actor Salman Khan's house. Thapan passed away while under police custody, prompting his mother, Rita Devi, to file a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.
However, the court maintained that it cannot blindly transfer the probe to a third-party agency, stating, "Let them (State) say there is no FIR. The investigation is going on and then we will see."
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Thapan's mother alleged that her son was murdered by the Mumbai Crime Branch and subjected to brutal assault and torture. The petition also sought directions for a fresh post-mortem examination of Thapan's body.
During the hearing, Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde informed the court that an Accidental Death Report (ADR) was registered, and the State Crime Investigation Department (CID) is investigating the matter. Additionally, a magisterial inquiry has been initiated into Thapan's death while in police custody.
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Responding to the plea, a vacation bench comprising Justices Sandeep Marne and Neela Gokhale directed Shinde to submit a status report on the progress of the CID investigation and the magisterial inquiry. The Court also instructed the concerned police station to preserve the CCTV footage and call data records (CDR) of police officers involved in the case.
The matter has been adjourned for further hearing on May 22.
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Thapan was arrested on April 26, along with three other individuals, by the Mumbai Crime Branch for allegedly supplying arms to other accused individuals involved in the firing outside Salman Khan's residence. He was remanded to police custody until April 30, and provisions under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) were invoked in the case.
Despite the police extending Thapan's custody until May 8, he was reported to have died by suicide on May 1. His mother subsequently approached the High Court with the present petition.