The initial investigation by the city crime branch into the apparent suicide of Anuj Thapan (26), a suspect in the firing incident at actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence, has uncovered negligence by the guard on duty inside the lockup at Mumbai Police headquarters. Surveillance footage from two cameras inside the lockup revealed that an hour before the incident, Thapan was visibly restless for nearly 40 minutes in the veranda before entering the toilet, where he reportedly hanged himself using a string from a rug.
The preliminary post-mortem report has ruled out foul play, stating, “Preliminary findings suggest that the injuries are consistent with those typically associated with hanging.” The report noted marks on the neck, but the final autopsy report is pending histopathology tests. Thapan’s viscera has been preserved for further analysis, and as there are no claimants, his body has been kept in cold storage.
Police have announced two separate inquiries into the matter: one under CrPC Section 176, headed by a judicial magistrate, and another under CrPC Section 174, which mandates an inquest report in cases of suicide, murder, death by an animal or machinery, or death under suspicious circumstances.
Thapan, along with Subhash Chander, was apprehended in Punjab on April 24. They are accused of supplying two country-made pistols and 40 cartridges to Sagar Pal and Vikas Gupta in Mumbai on behalf of Anmol Bishnoi, the Canada-based cousin of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Pal and Gupta allegedly fired shots outside Khan’s residence on April 14. Anmol is currently under a lookout circular, and police are working to secure Lawrence’s custody from the Gujarat jail where he is incarcerated.
According to police, the incident unfolded when, at 12.30 pm, an officer conducting a routine check of the lockup’s first floor was informed by an inmate that Thapan had not returned from the toilet. Thapan was discovered hanging from the window grille with a string around his neck. Despite being rushed to GT Hospital, he was pronounced dead by doctors.
Following the incident, the Azad Maidan police registered an accidental death report, which was later transferred to the state CID due to the custodial death nature of the case. Thapan, who had three prior offenses, including a shooting incident in Punjab, was segregated from his associates. Police believe that facing a long incarceration period due to the invocation of MCOCA, he may have panicked and decided to take his own life. They assert that his suicide will not impact the case, as there is substantial evidence against the other accused.
Thapan’s younger brother, a daily wage laborer, is expected to arrive in Mumbai on Friday to claim his body. Thapan’s lawyer, Amit Mishra, stated that police did not provide any information, and he learned about the post-mortem through media reports. Mishra added that Thapan’s family refuses to accept that he committed suicide, and any legal action will depend on his brother’s decision.