Lawrence Bishnoi is ready to cooperate with the crime branch in the case of firing at Salman Khan’s residence, said his advocate Rajani. However, the police are currently awaiting permission from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to secure the gangster’s custody for further questioning.
Bishnoi, who is lodged in Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail in a narcotics case, is the wanted accused in the shooting outside Salman Khan’s Galaxy Apartment. In 2023, the MHA had issued an order under Section 268 of the Criminal Procedure Code, prohibiting Bishnoi’s transfer from Sabarmati Jail for a year. This period ended on August 30, 2024.
Accordingly, the crime branch has sent all the necessary documents to the MHA and is now awaiting approval to take Bishnoi into custody for interrogation related to the firing case. The authorities have also dispatched related FIRs, the final report on the 2023 Jaipur hotel firing, and information regarding the National Investigation Agency’s case, in which Bishnoi is accused of hiring youth for terrorist activities in Delhi.
The chargesheet filed in the Galaxy firing case runs into 1,735 pages, with 772 pages detailing the alleged offences committed by Bishnoi and his gang. The aim is to build a watertight case to ensure his custody is granted at the earliest.
“Till now, the crime branch has not received any letter from the MHA. I have no update on the procedure the department is following. My client will cooperate in this case as he has in other cases,” said Advocate Rajani.
Generally, there is no procedure requiring approval from the Home Ministry to take an accused into custody. However, since Bishnoi was confined in Sabarmati Jail by an MHA order, this may be the reason the crime branch is approaching the Ministry for permission, Rajani added.
The firing incident took place on April 14, leading to the arrest of six accused.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/salman-khan-residence-firing-case-lawrence-bishnoi-willing-to-cooperate-with-crime-branch-awaiting-mha-custody-approval-says-advocate
