Bombay High Court Orders Removal Of Actor Salman Khan's Name From Plea Seeking CBI Probe Into Custodial Death Of Firing Accused

The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the removal of Bollywood actor Salman Khan's name from a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the custodial death of Anuj Thapan, an accused in the case of firing outside Khan's residence.

A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Shyam Chandak emphasized that there were no allegations or relief sought against Khan in the petition and, therefore, his involvement was unnecessary.

Anuj Thapan was found dead on May 1, 2024 inside the the Mumbai police lock-up. According to the police, Thapan died by suicide. However, Thapan's mother, Rita Devi, alleged foul play and claimed that her son was physically assaulted and tortured in custody. In her petition, Rita Devi has sought a CBI investigation into her son's death.

Rita Devi's plea also included Khan as a respondent, but the court ordered his name to be deleted from the petition. The bench highlighted that keeping Khan as a respondent diverted attention from the main issue, which was the death of Thapan.

On April 14, 2024, two motorbike-borne individuals opened fire outside Salman Khan's Bandra residence. Thapan, who was allegedly involved in supplying weapons to the shooters, was arrested on April 26, 2024.

The court noted that the petitioner's primary concern was the death of her son and that including Khan as a respondent detracted from this focus. The bench stated that Khan was not a necessary party in the petition and questioned the rationale behind his inclusion.

The petitioner argued that while no relief was sought against Khan, he should still be part of the ongoing probe by the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) into Thapan's death. The court, however, left this decision to the CID. It pointed out that by including Khan, the petitioner was shifting focus away from the main issue.

A vacation bench had previously directed the Mumbai police to file a status report on the ongoing investigation into Thapan's death. The prosecution had informed the court that the investigation had been transferred to the CID, and a magisterial inquiry had been initiated.

The court posted the matter for further hearing after six weeks.

Click Here To Read/Download Order