Mumbai police search Tapi river to recover pistol used for firing outside Salman Khan's home
Surat (PTI): A Mumbai crime branch team on Monday launched a search in the Tapi river in Gujarat's Surat city to recover the pistol used by two men for allegedly firing outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's residence, police said.
The two arrested men - Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) - told the police during interrogation that they threw the weapon into the Tapi river here from a railway bridge when they were fleeing towards Bhuj in a train after arriving in Surat by road from Mumbai following the firing incident, according to sources.
The duo allegedly fired outside 58-year-old Khan's house at the Galaxy Apartment in Bandra area of Mumbai on April 14 and then fled the spot on a motorbike.
Based on the technical surveillance, they were apprehended on April 16 from a temple premises at Mata No Madh near Bhuj town in Gujarat by joint teams of the Mumbai and Kutch police.
They were subsequently handed over to the Mumbai police for further investigation.
"A team of Mumbai police has come to Surat to recover the gun used by two men for firing at Salman Khan's residence there. Our teams are assisting the Mumbai police in recovering the weapon," Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot told PTI.
Senior police inspector Daya Nayak, known as 'encounter specialist', was also with the Mumbai crime branch team which was searching for the weapon in the Tapi river water here with the help of local divers and fishermen, another official said.
As per the investigation, Gupta and Pal had reached Surat by road after firing at Khan's house in Mumbai on April 14.
They then boarded a Bhuj-bound train from Surat railway station. They disposed of the pistol in the Tapi river when the train was passing from a bridge in the city.
Prima facie, the duo's main objective behind firing outside Khan's residence was to create "terror", police had said.
The Mumbai police have declared jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi as "wanted accused" in connection with the incident.
Gupta and Pal were allegedly receiving instructions from the two Bishnoi brothers, the Mumbai police have said.
While Lawrence Bishnoi is lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Gujarat in another case, his brother is believed to be in Canada or the US, an official earlier said.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
