According to the police, the accused conducted reconnaissance of Mr Khan's residence three times.
Three recces done, five shots fired - Mumbai Police today shared details of the sensational firing incident near Bollywood actor Salman Khan's Mumbai home after arresting the two suspects involved in the crime from Bhuj in Gujarat.
On Sunday at 4:55 am, two men on a motorcycle fired five rounds outside Galaxy Apartments in Mumbai's Bandra, where the actor resides, and fled from the spot.
Vicky Gupta, 24, and Sagar Kumar Palak, 21 - both from West Champaran in Bihar - were arrested by Mumbai Police from the premises of a temple in Gujarat's Kutch district late Monday night. Deputy Inspector General of Kutch-West, Mahendra Bagadiya, confirmed that Gupta and Palak have confessed to their involvement in the firing incident.
According to the police, the accused conducted reconnaissance of Mr Khan's residence three times prior to the incident.
Both men, according to police sources, are part of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Bishnoi is currently in Tihar Jail for his involvement in several high-profile murder cases including that of musician Sidhu Moose Wala and Rajput leader and Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi.
How Were The Accused Caught
An earlier investigation by Delhi Police indicated that the scheme originated in the United States, where Anmol Bishnoi, Lawrence Bishnoi's brother, entrusted the task of selecting shooters to Rohit Godara, another gangster also based in the US. This decision was likely influenced by Godara's extensive network of professional shooters spanning several states in India, police said.
Anmol Bishnoi claimed responsibility for the incident through a Facebook post. However, the IP address of the Facebook page that claimed responsibility for the firing incident was traced back to Canada.
Police from five states - Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab - initiated a coordinated effort to apprehend those involved. An FIR was registered and using CCTV footage, the police managed to piece together crucial evidence and strategies a plan to catch the accused.
Vicky Gupta and Sagar Kumar Palak had been residing in a rented accommodation in Panvel in Maharashtra's Raigad. The two men had paid a deposit of Rs 10,000 for the house and had agreed to a monthly rent of Rs 3,500.
Sagar Kumar Palak's prior stint in Haryana emerged as a focal point of the investigation, after reports of his affiliation with the notorious Bishnoi gang emerged. A multi-pronged approach was implemented in the search operation with 12 specialised teams formed to track down the accused.
Teams were sent to Gujarat after the police suspected the accused might be hiding in the state. The police first reached Bhuj before travelling 58 km away to Nakhatrana where they caught the accused from a temple.
The two accused were subsequently transported to Mumbai and presented before a magistrate court on Tuesday.
The crime branch petitioned for a 14-day custody of the suspects, citing the necessity for their interrogation to uncover details regarding the conspiracy and to identify the mastermind behind the whole incident.
The court approved the police custody request, granting a period of nine days (until April 25) for further investigation.