The Bombay High Court expressed dissatisfaction over the “incomplete” autopsy report of Anuj Thapan, an accused in the firing incident outside actor Salman Khan’s house, who died in police custody. A bench of Justices N R Borkar and Somasekhar Sundaresan examined the post-mortem report, noting vital details missing, including the diagram of ligature marks on the deceased’s neck and other potential injuries.
Thapan’s mother, Rita Devi, filed a petition alleging foul play in her son’s death and requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate. She claimed her son was physically assaulted and tortured by the police. Additional public prosecutor Jayesh Yagnik submitted a preliminary report on the state CID’s inquiry into Thapan’s death and his post-mortem report, which the court found lacking critical information.
Questions arose regarding the ligature mark’s shape and whether there were other injuries, highlighting the report’s inadequacy. Yagnik assured further investigation and provision of necessary details.
Senior counsel Aabad Ponda, representing Salman Khan, urged the removal of the actor’s name from the plea, asserting Khan’s victim status in the incident. The court acknowledged the petitioner’s lack of allegations against Khan for now.
The incident, where two individuals fired outside Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra, led to multiple arrests, including Thapan. While four suspects are in judicial custody, one is in police custody, and Thapan died while in custody. The court directed the report to be handed to the petitioner and scheduled further hearings in June.
