Salman Khan firing case: State CID begins investigations into death of accused

The State Crime Investigation Department CID of Maharashtra Police has taken over the probe and on Wednesday began its investigations into the death of Anuj Thapan an accused who had been arrested in connection with the Salman Khan firing case reported the PTIAnuj Thapan 32 arrested in the case of the firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khans residence allegedly hanged himself in the police lockup on Wednesday officials saidThe CCTV footage of the lockup will be examined they saidAnuj Thapan was accused of supplying weapons to the shooters who opened fire outside Khans residence in Bandra on April 14 and arrested by the Mumbai crime branch a week later according to the PTIHe hanged himself with a piece of bedsheet in the toilet of the firstfloor lockup located in the crime branch building inside the police commissioners office compound in south Mumbai an official said as per the PTIThe incident came to light at 1 pm on Wednesday when a crime branch official noticed that Thapan had been in the toilet for a long time When the door was forced open he was found hanging from the toilets window the official said the news agency reported on WednesdayAnuj Thapan was later rushed to the nearby staterun Gokuldas Tejpal GT hospital where he was declared dead during treatment the official said reported the PTIThere were five other accused in the lockup at the time of the incident Two coaccused in the firing case had been taken out for investigation the official said the PTI report statedThe state CID has taken over the probe into Anuj Thapans custodial death and it will investigate whether there was any negligence on the part of Mumbai Crime Branch officials he saidUsually if an accused informs the lockup incharge that he wishes to go to the toilet a police personnel accompanies him The CID will look into whether these norms were followed the official addedLater in the evening Anuj Thapans body was sent to the staterun J J Hospital for incamera postmortem to be conducted by forensic doctors in the presence of a magistrate while an accidental death case ADR was registered at Azad Maidan police stationA senior police official told PTI that there were five police personnel posted at the crime branch lockup and as per the high court guidelines CCTV cameras are also installed insideAfter examining the CCTV footage we will find out what exactly happened he saidAnuj Thapan and Sonu Kumar Bishnoi 32 were arrested by a Mumbai Crime Branch team from Fazilka in Punjab last month The two had allegedly supplied weapons to shooters Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta for firing at Salman Khans Bandra residenceAs per the police the duo visited Panvel near Mumbai on March 15 to deliver two countrymade pistols and 38 live rounds to Pal and GuptaAnuj Thapan and Sonu Bishnois village in Punjab is very close to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnois villageLawrence currently lodged in Sabarmati central prison in Gujarats Ahmedabad and his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi believed to be in the US or Canada have been named as wanted accused in the firing caseAnuj Thapan and Sonu Bishnoi were also accused along with Lawrence and Anmol Bishnoi in an earlier case of firing registered at Gangapur in Punjab the official said adding that Anuj Thapan was an important link in that caseSpeaking to the media Anuj Thapans lawyer alleged that police seemed to have used force during interrogationWe are demanding an inquiry by the CBI or state police he added the news agency reported on Wednesdaywith PTI inputs