The Bombay High Court expressed strong disapproval on Wednesday regarding the incomplete autopsy report of Anuj Thapan, who was accused of involvement in a firing incident outside actor Salman Khan’s residence and later died in police custody. The court’s vacation bench, comprising Justices N R Borkar and Somasekhar Sundaresan, scrutinized the post-mortem report which omitted crucial details, including a diagram of the ligature mark on Thapan’s neck and the presence of other injuries.
Anuj Thapan passed away on May 1 in the toilet of the lock-up at Mumbai police’s crime branch, where his mother, Rita Devi, alleges he was physically assaulted and tortured. Following his death, Devi petitioned the High Court, suggesting foul play and demanding an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
During the proceedings, Additional Public Prosecutor Jayesh Yagnik presented a preliminary state CID inquiry report along with the autopsy findings, which pointed to asphyxiation as the cause of death. However, the court highlighted the lack of detailed analysis in the autopsy report concerning the nature of the ligature mark and possible additional injuries.
“This is not a complete post-mortem report. It is incomplete,” remarked the bench, instructing that a corrected version of the report be prepared by consulting with the medical examiners involved.
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The court has scheduled further hearings for June, and has directed that a copy of the report be provided to the petitioner, Rita Devi. Meanwhile, senior counsel Aabad Ponda, representing Salman Khan, requested that the actor’s name be removed as a party respondent in the case, arguing that Khan, who was the target of the attack, should not be implicated without evidence. The court acknowledged that no claims were directly made against Khan in Devi’s petition.
The incident, which occurred on April 14, involved two individuals firing at Khan’s Bandra residence, leading to multiple arrests.
