A Mumbai special court on Monday extended the police custody of three accused individuals arrested in connection with the firing incident at Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra until May 8.
The Judge
Special MCOCA judge A M Patil remanded Vicky Gupta (24), Sagar Pal (21), and Anuj Thapan (32) to police custody. Sonu Kumar Chander Bishnoi (37) was sent to judicial custody on medical grounds.
MCOCA
The police, on Saturday, invoked provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against alleged shooters Gupta and Pal, as well as Bishnoi and Thapan, accused of supplying firearms and bullets, along with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol, who are wanted in connection with the incident. The accused were previously booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act.
During the proceedings held in-camera, the court granted custody of Gupta, Pal, and Thapan to the police until May 8, while Bishnoi was remanded to judicial custody. Public prosecutor Jaisingh Desai argued for the custody of the accused, emphasizing the need for a detailed investigation to uncover the conspiracy.
FIR
The police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) following the firing incident at Galaxy Apartment in Bandra, Khan’s residence, on April 14. Gupta and Pal, both residents of Bihar, were apprehended from Kutch in neighbouring Gujarat on April 16, while Sonu Bishnoi and Thapan were arrested from Punjab on April 25.
Anmol Bishnoi, residing in Canada and traveling to the USA, claimed responsibility for the shooting via a Facebook post, although the IP address was traced to Portugal, according to police reports.
Lawrence Bishnoi, implicated in several crimes, is currently incarcerated in Sabarmati jail in Gujarat.
