Firing outside Salman Khan’s home: MCOCA court remands three accused to police custody till May 8

Mumbai: A special court here on Monday remanded to police custody till May 8 three accused arrested in connection with the firing at Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra.

Special MCOCA judge A M Patil remanded the accused, Vicky Gupta (24), Sagar Pal (21) and Anuj Thapan (32), to police custody and sent Sonu Kumar Chander Bishnoi (37) to judicial custody on medical grounds.

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, who are accused of supplying two firearms and bullets, and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol, shown as wanted accused.

The accused were earlier booked under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act.

In the proceedings held on camera, the court sent Gupta, Pal and Thapan to police custody till May 8 and remanded Bishnoi to judicial custody.

Public prosecutor Jaisingh Desai sought the custody of the accused, citing that the police needed to conduct a detailed investigation to unearth the conspiracy.

Police had registered the first information report (FIR) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 307 (attempt to murder) after two motorbike-borne men fired at Galaxy Apartment in Bandra, Khan’s residence, in the early hours of 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 held from Punjab on April 25.

Anmol Bishnoi, who stays in Canada and travels to the USA, had claimed responsibility for the firing through a Facebook post, though its IP address was traced to Portugal, as per police.

Lawrence Bishnoi, accused of several crimes, is lodged in a jail in Sabarmati in Gujarat. (PTI)