Mumbai, 16 April

Two people arrested in connection with the firing outside Salman Khan's residence in Mumbai conducted a recce around the actor's house three times before the incident, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

The duo - Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) - both residents of Bihar, were on the run after the firing incident outside Khan's house at the Galaxy Apartment in Bandra area here early Sunday morning. They were apprehended late Monday night from Mata No Madh village in Gujarat's Kutch district, police said.

Vicky was riding a motorcycle at the time of the incident. Sagar, who was riding pillion, allegedly fired at the actor's house, a police official said. The two men were brought here by a flight on Tuesday morning, Mumbai's Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Lakhmi Gautam said at a press briefing.

After their medical check-up, they were produced before a court which remanded them in police custody till 25 April, he said. "The accused persons carried out a recce around Khan's house three times" before the firing incident, the official said.

On Sunday, the accused persons shot five rounds - one of it hit the wall and another the gallery of Khan's residence, he said.

During the probe into the incident, a Facebook post claiming responsibility for the firing had surfaced. The post was uploaded allegedly by Anmol Bishnoi, younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, according to the police. "So far, Anmol Bishnoi's role is primarily visible in the crime and we are investigating it," the official said.

A preliminary probe suggested that both Sagar and Vicky were hired by the gang of Lawrence Bishnoi to open fire at Khan's house, Deputy Inspector General of Kutch-West, Mahendra Bagadiya, said earlier in the day.

While Sagar fired at Khan's house, Vicky was in touch with the gang members, Bagadiya said, adding that the two men have admitted to the crime.