The Punjab and Haryana High Court has permitted a second post-mortem examination of Anuj Thapan, who died in police custody subsequent to his arrest in a case linked to the firing incident outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s residence in Mumbai.
The directive was issued on a plea filed by Anuj’s mother, Reeta Devi, who requested a fresh examination.
Under the jurisdiction of Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj, the court instructed the petitioner to transfer the body to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College in Faridkot on or before May 10.
The court resolved the plea without remarking on the merits of the case or involving the state of Maharashtra, but directed the Punjab government to conduct a second post-mortem examination of Anuj.
Arrests Made
On April 14, two individuals on motorcycles fired shots outside Salman Khan’s residence in Mumbai’s Bandra area. Four individuals, including Anuj, were apprehended in connection with the incident.
Kumar, accused of supplying firearms and bullets, was apprehended on April 26 from Punjab and was in police custody until April 30. A resident of Punjab’s Fazilka, Kumar was discovered dead in the toilet of the lock-up of the crime branch in the commissionerate complex at Crawford Market (Mumbai) on May 1.
Conspiracy?
The counsel for the petitioner, Davinder Singh Khurana, submitted that Anuj’s body was handed over to the petitioner following a post-mortem examination. Khurana asserted that the petitioner suspected her son had been eliminated as part of a conspiracy and to eliminate any possibility of foul play, it was crucial to conduct a re-examination of the post-mortem.
The state counsel argued that the petition was unfounded and lacked a substantial reason or tangible grounds for a second post-mortem.
