What is the story about?
The investigation into the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff has widened, with reports suggesting that the accused allegedly conducted reconnaissance
of Ramayana actor Ranbir Kapoor's residence in Mumbai's Bandra area. Mumbai Police are examining whether the reported surveillance was connected to a wider conspiracy allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Investigators are also probing claims that Salman Khan was initially considered a target before the suspects allegedly shifted their focus to Tiger. While these developments have raised concerns about the possible targeting of Bollywood personalities, police have yet to establish whether Ranbir was a confirmed target. The investigation remains ongoing.
Was Ranbir Kapoor's house surveyed?
According to reports by the Crime Branch, investigators are digging out info on whether those accused in the Tiger Shroff firing case had done a recce of Ranbir Kapoor's Bandra residence. The development has led the police to probe the whereabouts of the suspects before the shooting and whether the alleged surveillance was linked to the same conspiracy or was part of a separate scheme against Bollywood personalities.
However, it is not confirmed that Ranbir Kapoor was a specific target. The reported recce is still part of an ongoing investigation, with officers trying to establish the intention of the suspects and whether more than one person was involved.
Police are also probing the alleged supply of firearms and the possible role of Anil Pandit, who police say is an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Salman Khan was reportedly the first target
As per reports, the accused had initially planned to attack Salman Khan after reaching Mumbai. They said they scouted his residence, but decided against it after they saw the police personnel posted outside. Investigators believe that the group then set its sights on Tiger Shroff. The accused allegedly came to know through fan posts and Instagram pages that Tiger would visit a football ground in Juhu on Sunday, according to police reports.
It was reported that the actor was thought to be an easier target because his movements involved fewer security arrangements. Police are investigating how the suspects gained information about the actors and if the alleged plot involved other celebrities. These claims are allegations under investigation, and the exact sequence of events and motives are not yet fully established.
Three key accused sent to police custody
Mumbai Crime Branch took the three main accused from Kota in Rajasthan to Mumbai on Wednesday (October 22), reports said. A magistrate's court remanded them to police custody till October 31. The accused have been identified as Rehan alias Sukka from Sonipat in Haryana, Ritik Kurmi alias Roshan, a resident of Begusarai in Bihar and currently residing in Mumbai, and Phool Singh from Haryana.
Police wanted 14 days' custody to recover the firearms used in the crime and to investigate the motive. Investigators also told the court that two mobile phones had been destroyed and call detail records and other electronic evidence needed to be collected.
Police said CCTV footage and the tracking of a motorcycle, thought to have been used in the shooting, helped identify the suspects.
Five suspects held in Haryana, UP
Five others, including two women, have been arrested in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and are being brought to Mumbai for further probe, Deputy Commissioner of Police Raj Tilak Roshan said. Technical analysis and interviews helped investigators uncover a wider network allegedly involved in procuring and supplying guns, reports said. Police conducted simultaneous raids with the help of intelligence inputs and Delhi and Haryana Police.
Delhi Police identified four suspects as Kunal, 21 and Sumit, 19, from Sonipat and Radha, 23 and Babita, 23, from Uttar Pradesh. Kunal allegedly went to Amritsar with Sumit and collected a pistol and 20 rounds at the instance of Anil Pandit, Delhi Police said. Radha and Babita allegedly went to Mumbai with the weapon.
