Salman Khan House Firing: Mumbai Crime Branch Submits 1,735-Page Chargesheet Against 9 Accused

In the case of the firing outside Salman Khan's Bandra residence, Galaxy Apartments, the Mumbai Crime Branch submitted a chargesheet to the MCOCA court on Monday. A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed by the Crime Branch to investigate this matter. The SIT has submitted a chargesheet of 1,735 pages, which lists 6 arrested accused and also names Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi, and Rohit Godara as wanted accused.

The police claim in the chargesheet that Bishnoi wanted to create terror among film personalities and businessmen to extort money from them. The police have recorded statements from a total of 46 witnesses in this case.  Two arrested individuals, Mohammad Rafiq Sardar Chaudhary and witness Sonu Gupta, have given confessional statements in the MCOCA court. 

The chargesheet has been filed against nine accused, including Lawrence Bishnoi, his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi, and their associate Rohit Godara. The police suspect that Anmol and Rohit are both abroad, while Lawrence is in Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat. Police officials said that they have written to the central government through the state's ACS Home to take Lawrence Bishnoi into custody in this case. 

The police have claimed in the chargesheet that forensic tests have matched two pistols recovered from the Tapi river in Gujarat and empty shells found near Salman Khan's house, indicating that these were the pistols used in the firing.

The SIT of the Crime Branch, investigating this case, recorded the statements of actor Salman Khan and his brother Arbaaz Khan on June 4, where Salman expressed serious concern about the firing incident and emphasized that it posed a significant threat to him and his family members and should not be underestimated.

On the morning of April 14, two bike-borne assailants fired 5-6 rounds at the actor's house and fled the city. When the shooters fired five to six rounds, the actor and his family members were present in Galaxy Apartments in Bandra West. Salman Khan told the police that he woke up to the sound of gunshots. Upon checking, he went to the gallery and saw that no one was outside. A few minutes later, the security guards stationed at the building arrived at his house and informed him about the incidents that had occurred outside.

The police investigating this case has arrested Sagar Pal, Vicky Gupta, Anuj Thapan, Sonu Kumar Bishnoi, Harpal Singh alias Harry and Mohammad Rafiq Chaudhary, out of which Anuj Thapan committed suicide in jail while in police custody. Thapan was arrested on charges of supplying weapons to shooters Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal.