Mumbai: The Mumbai Police Crime Branch arrested two accused for allegedly firing outside actor Salman Khan's residence in Bandra West on April 14. However, Gujarat police also claimed credit of arresting the individuals, in one of their press releases. The Mumbai police have confirmed that the accused were apprehended in the Bhuj district of Gujarat on Tuesday. The accused are identified as Vikas (Vicky Gupta) and Sagar Pal, aged 24 and 22 respectively. Both the accused are natives of Bihar's Champaran.
Both individuals, who fled Mumbai after the shooting, have been apprehended in Gujarat's Bhuj city and will be transported to Mumbai for further investigation. Maximum police custody will be sought after their appearance in court on Tuesday afternoon.
The police recovered foreign pistols, live cartridges, mobile phones, and cash from the accused. During interrogation, they confessed to firing shots outside Salman Khan's residence.
Two unidentified assailants fired shots in front of Salman Khan's Galaxy apartment in Bandra at 5 a.m. on Sunday. They discharged four to five bullets to instill fear in the area before fleeing towards Mehboob studio.
After inquiring about directions to Vasai from a rickshaw driver, they abandoned their bike near Mount Mary and escaped in a rickshaw, eventually reaching Bandra railway station and travelling to Navi Mumbai via Santacruz and Vakola.
The Mumbai police, collaborating with the Bandra Police, Crime Branch, and ATS, have launched a comprehensive investigation. The seized bike belongs to a resident of Panvel, who sold it to the shooters.
During their month-long stay in Panvel, the shooters rented a house, prompting the police to question both the landlord and the bike seller for information.
The investigation uncovered their reconnaissance of Salman Khan's farm and Galaxy Apartment, where they noted Salman's movements and security details to evade police presence.
Unable to target Salman directly due to tight security, they resorted to firing near his residence in the early morning to incite fear. Additionally, the IP address associated with a post claiming responsibility for the shooting was traced to Portugal, implicating Anmol Bishnoi.
A special police operation led to the arrest of the fugitives in Bhuj city, Gujarat. They confessed to the shooting during interrogation and were subsequently brought back to Mumbai for further questioning. The police confiscated the pistol and other incriminating evidence.
AR Zankant, Kachchh DSP shared information about the operation and said, "Mumbai Police was investigating the case of firing outside the residence of actor Salman Khan. Mumbai Police informed the Kuchchh Police that the two accused had reached Kuchchh. Different teams were formed to catch the accused. Both the accused were arrested by Kuchchh Police and handed over to Mumbai Police. During primary interrogation, it was found that they were in contact with Lawrence Bishnoi's gang..."
As the investigation unfolds, more revelations are anticipated. A source said that Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and Special Police Commissioner Deven Bharti are scheduled to provide updates on the case at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
