Mumbai: The city crime branch’s preliminary probe into the alleged suicide of Anuj Thapan (26), an accused in the firing incident at actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence, has revealed negligence by the guard stationed inside the lockup at Mumbai Police headquarters. A detailed examination of the CCTV footage from the two cameras inside the lockup an hour prior shows Thapan restlessly moving for nearly 40 minutes in the veranda before entering the toilet where he allegedly hanged himself using a string of a rug on Wednesday.

The preliminary postmortem report has ruled out any foul play. “Preliminary findings suggest that the injuries are consistent with those typically associated with hanging,” a source at JJ Hospital told TOI. The examination found marks on the neck, but the final autopsy report will be issued after histopathology tests. Thapan’s viscera has been preserved for analysis, and due to the absence of any claimants, the body was kept in cold storage.

Police said there will be two inquiries: one under CrPC Section 176, headed by the judicial magistrate, and another under CrPC Section 174, which provides for the preparation of an inquest report in case of suicide, murder, death by an animal, machinery, or accident, or death under suspicious circumstances.

Thapan and Subhash Chander were arrested from Punjab on April 24. The duo allegedly gave two country-made pistols and 40 cartridges to Sagar Pal and Vikas Gupta in Mumbai on behalf of Anmol Bishnoi, the Canada-based cousin of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Pal and Gupta allegedly opened fire outside Khan’s residence on April 14. A lookout circular has been issued against Anmol and police are hoping to gain custody of Lawrence from the Gujarat jail he is lodged in.

Police said at 12.30 pm, an officer in charge of the lockup was conducting a routine check on the first floor when an inmate told him that Thapan hadn’t returned from the toilet. They found Thapan hanging from the window grille with a string wound around his neck. He was rushed to GT Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

On Thursday, Azad Maidan police registered an accidental death report, and as it was a custodial death, the case was transferred to state CID. Police said Thapan, who has three previous offences including firing in Punjab, was kept separate from his aides. “On learning that he would be in jail for a long period as MCOCA had been invoked, he may have panicked and may have decided to end his life,” said an officer, adding that the “suicide will have no impact on the case” as there is ample evidence against the accused.

Thapan’s younger brother, a daily wage worker, is expected to arrive in Mumbai on Friday to claim his body. Thapan’s lawyer Amit Mishra said police did not provide any information and it was through media reports that he learnt that the post-mortem was conducted at JJ Hospital. “Thapan’s family is refusing to believe that he committed suicide. The legal course of action depends on his brother,” Mishra said.

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Anuj Kumar Thapan, the alleged gun supplier in the Salman Khan shooting incident who was found dead in a Crime Branch lockup on Wednesday afternoon, was allegedly coerced into giving a confessional statement against Lawrence Bishnoi, according to his legal team. They claimed that the 23-year-old succumbed to the pressure and fear, as he believed that implicating Bishnoi would endanger his family, who reside only a few kilometres from the gangster’s village in Rajasthan.

Due to the high-profile nature of the case, my client was unduly pressured by the Crime Branch to provide a confessional statement, despite having no involvement in the firing incident. The intense coercion may have led to his tragic demise. We are currently petitioning the Bombay High Court to ensure a thorough investigation into his death,” stated Advocate Vicky Sharma, representing Thapan and his family.

Crime Branch officials declined to comment on the allegations but stated off the record that there are CCTV cameras inside the lockup, capturing everything clearly, and no one was coerced or tortured. “We believe he died by suicide due to depression, especially after the MCOCA [Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act] was invoked against him, indicating a bleak future behind bars,” said an officer from the Crime Branch, requesting anonymity.

Sources have said that they would also initiate a departmental inquiry to determine if any oversights led to Thapan’s suicide, despite the presence of a guard outside the lockup.

Thapan, under the custody of the anti-extortion cell (AEC), required round-the-clock monitoring by both the AEC and senior department officers, given his involvement in a high-profile case and direct ties to Bishnoi. “The AEC was supposed to monitor him 24/7 either through CCTV cameras or a guard, but there seems to have been a lapse somewhere that needs to be investigated,” commented an officer of the Mumbai Police.

Following protocol, the state CID will investigate the matter since the accused died in police custody. Thapan allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday afternoon inside the lockup situated at the headquarters of the Mumbai Police, marking the first suicide case in such a high-profile police facility.

Officials have conducted a thorough scan of the entire facility to ensure no areas compromise its security, given its use for interrogating several gangsters. According to the Crime Branch, recently, the scan occurred when gangster Prasad Pujari was deported from China and was kept in the facility.

Thapan hailed from the Fazilka district of Punjab, which is a mere 10-12 kilometres from Bishnoi’s village in Rajasthan. He played a crucial role in the case, having direct links with Bishnoi, and was a co-accused in firing and extortion cases involving the dreaded gangster in Punjab.