The
Bombay High Court on Monday ordered for the removal of actor Salman Khan's name
as respondent in a plea seeking a CBI probe into the custodial death of an
accused in a case of firing outside the actor's house.
Accused
Anuj Thapan was found dead on May 1 inside the toilet of the crime branch
police lock-up here.
A
division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Shyam Chandak directed
petitioner Rita Devi, mother of Thapan, to delete Khan's name from the
petition.
"Delete
his name. Petitioner seeks leave to amend the petition to delete the name of
respondent 4 (Salman Khan) as there is no pleading against him and no relief
sought against him," the court said.
On
April 14, two motorbike-borne persons opened fire outside Bollywood superstar
Salman Khan's residence in Bandra area here.
The
alleged shooters - Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal - were later arrested from
Gujarat.
Thapan
was arrested on April 26 from Punjab along with another person for allegedly
supplying weapons to the shooters for firing at Khan's residence.
While
police claim Thapan killed himself, Rita Devi in her petition filed on May 3 in
the HC alleged foul play and claimed he was killed.
In
her plea, she sought the HC to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
to conduct a probe into her son's death.
The
petition said Thapan was physically assaulted and tortured by police in
custody.
Rita
Devi had in her plea impleaded Khan as a respondent.
The
high court on Monday said no averments or relief was sought against Khan in the
petition and hence there was no point in keeping the actor involved in the
plea.
"What
is the point of making a person who is supposed to be the victim a party
respondent? We see no reason why respondent 4 should continue to be in this
plea. He is not a necessary party," the bench said.
The
HC noted the petitioner's concern was the death of her son but there was no
point in making Khan a respondent in the plea.