Bishnoi Gang link under scrutiny
A joint task force of the Rajasthan Anti-Gangster Task Force and Kota city police, acting on real-time intelligence from Mumbai Police, arrested three suspects in connection with the Sunday evening firing on Tiger Shroff’s car. Police picked up the three on board the Pune-Jaipur Express at Kota railway station on Monday morning (about 15-20 minutes after receiving the alert) in a general compartment, en route to an alleged escape route.
The attack on Shroff took place around 7 pm on Sunday, near Pushpa Narsee Park (also known as Jamnabai Nursery) in Juhu, Mumbai (about 350 m from the Juhu police station). Shroff, who was at a football session, was leaving the area in his BMW when the motorcycle-borne attackers opened up on him.
Between 5 and 7 rounds were fired at the car (one of the weapons reportedly jammed). Shroff escaped unharmed, with only minor cuts and abrasions from the glass and gunpowder. His driver, Firdaus, was hit in the left hand.
A passerby/autorickshaw driver was also hit in the chest. Both the injured men were taken to the hospital and were stable. The attackers then got on a waiting motorcycle and headed off towards SV Road and Vile Parle.
The shooters have been identified as a 17-year-old minor from Baroda Thuthan village in Sonipat, Haryana (in some accounts referred to as Phool Singh, son of a local potter); 18-year-old Rehan alias Sukka from Idgah Colony, Sonipat; and 22-year-old Hritik Kumar (also spelt Hrithik or Ritik) alias Roshan from Piprai village in Begusarai, Bihar.
Hritik had been living in Andheri West, Mumbai (near an Urdu school), and worked as a Rapido bike taxi rider.
Two of the accused are from Haryana, and one is a boy from Bihar who had been living in Mumbai. The two from Haryana are believed to have been the hired shooters, and the third was involved in the escape.
The initial questioning suggests the group spent over two weeks in Mumbai carrying out reconnaissance on Shroff’s movements (including his regular Sunday trips to the Juhu football ground). They appear to have used the wealth of paparazzi and blogger footage available online to work out his routine.
The investigation has revealed that the three were reportedly given an upfront payment of around ?50k and promised further payment or the prospect of going abroad. They planned to take a train to Jaipur, then a bus to Delhi, and from there cross into Nepal. No weapons have been recovered to date. The suspects are now being handed over to Mumbai Police, who have registered an attempt to murder case as well as Arms Act charges.
Hours after the shooting, there were social media posts and an audio message from Anil Pandit (a US-based operator from Panipat, Haryana and allegedly part of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang) and associate Harman Sandhu claiming responsibility. The message said Shroff had ignored earlier warnings not to associate with Salman Khan and had threatened other film industry people associated with the actor. Pandit is reportedly in touch with Rehan.
The Mumbai Police are checking the validity of these claims as they look at the wider network, particularly how young men with little or no prior record were recruited. The long-standing feud between the Bishnoi gang and Salman Khan (which goes back to the 1998 blackbuck case) is the backdrop to the threats.
Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde met Shroff and his family late on Sunday night and assured them of his support. Several Mumbai Police teams under Police Commissioner Deven Bharti are actively investigating the funding trail, the communication channels (apparently including encrypted apps), and any further modules.