Salman Khan firing case: Bombay High Court says nothing amiss in death of accused Anuj Thapan in custody

Anuj Thapan was nabbed from Punjab on April 26 in the case. File pic

The Bombay High Court on Friday stated that the death of Anuj Thapan, an accused in the Salman Khan firing case, does not appear to be a custodial death.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan stated that there seemed to be nothing suspicious about the death of the accused, reported news agency PTI.

On April 14, two motorcycle-borne individuals opened fire outside Khan's residence in the Bandra suburb of Mumbai. The police later arrested Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal from Gujarat, while Thapan was apprehended on April 26 in Punjab.

Thapan allegedly died by suicide in police custody on May 1. His body was found in the toilet of the crime branch lock-up, PTI reported.

The court made its observations after reviewing the report submitted by the magistrate who had conducted an inquiry into the death. Under the law, a magisterial inquiry must be conducted in cases of custodial deaths.

Thapan's mother, Rita Devi, had moved the High Court alleging foul play and claiming that her son was killed. In her plea, she sought the court to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the death, asserting that Thapan had been physically assaulted and tortured in police custody.

The court on Friday stated that there seemed to be no reason for the police to harm Thapan, as he could have been helpful in their investigation. The bench acknowledged Devi's distress, stating that while the mother's disbelief was understandable, it was difficult to determine what might drive someone to die by suicide.

"Nobody knows any person that well. What transpires in a person's mind at that time, nobody can tell. That's why suicides happen," Justice Dere said.

After reviewing the report, the bench remarked, "there was nothing amiss in the death" of Thapan.

The court also referenced CCTV footage showing Thapan appearing restless and pacing in his cell before entering the toilet alone.

"The CCTV footage does not indicate anyone went to the toilet after him. That rules out the possibility of someone following him. Normally, he would have struggled (if he was killed). There is nothing," Justice Chavan said.

"We can't fathom any reason for the police to kill an 18-year-old. On the contrary, he could have been the best person to help the police. They could have made him an approver," the bench remarked.

The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on January 24 and instructed Devi's advocate to review the magistrate's report.

(With PTI inputs)