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 cops 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 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. The period ended on August 30, 2024.
Accordingly, the crime branch sent all the documents to the MHA and now awaits its approval for taking the gangster's custody for interrogation in the firing case. The crime branch has also dispatched the related FIRs, final report in the 2023 Jaipur hotel firing and the information of the National Investigation Agency's case wherein Bishnoi is accused of hiring youth for terrorist activities in Delhi.
In the chargesheet filed in the Galaxy firing case, which runs into 1,735 pages, 772 pages delve into the details of alleged offences committed by Bishnoi and his gang. The aim is to make the case watertight so that his custody is granted at the earliest.
“Till now, they (crime branch) have not received any letter from the MHA. I have no update on what procedure the department is following. My client will co-operate in this case as he was doing till now in other cases,” said Advocate Rajani.
Generally, there is no procedure to take approval from the home ministry to take the accused's custody. However, Bishnoi was confined in the Sabarmati jail by the MHA's order; that may be the reason why the crime branch is approaching them, Rajani added.
The firing took place on April 14, leading to the arrest of six accused.
