Tiger Shroff Firing Case: Mumbai Police suspect that the shooters who opened fire at actor Tiger Shroff’s car were alerted by their handlers after their faces appeared on television news coverage of the October
18 attack. The Mumbai Crime Branch found that the shooters allegedly remained in touch with their handler through phone calls and messages, receiving instructions and updates during the operation, news agency IANS reported.
Police are now probing the possible roles of Anil Pandit, who is suspected to be in the US, and recently arrested accused Ankit Khatak and Sameer Khatri. Ten people have been arrested so far in connection with the firing, according to the Crime Branch.
The latest development comes a day after it was reported that police were investigating whether Ritik Kurmi alias Roshan, one of the accused, allegedly worked as a sleeper cell for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in Mumbai for over a year.
Investigators suspect Ritik Kurmi used his work as a delivery agent and bike-taxi rider to move around the city without attracting attention. Sources told News18 that he allegedly surveyed upscale neighbourhoods where Bollywood celebrities live and shared videos of these locations with gang members.
Ritik Kurmi reportedly posed as a Rapido rider while travelling across Mumbai. Before moving into rented accommodation in Andheri East, he is said to have spent several months in Juhu and Goregaon.
Anil Pandit’s Role Under Probe
The Crime Branch is also probing the role of Anil Pandit, who allegedly claimed responsibility for the firing in a social media post. Police have named him as a wanted accused and suspect that the attack was carried out at his behest. Pandit, described as an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, is believed to be operating from the United States. Investigators are also looking into the alleged role of four other accused- Kunal and Sumit, both from Haryana, and Radha and Babita, both from Uttar Pradesh- in arranging the weapon and ammunition used in the attack.
According to police, Kunal and Sumit collected a pistol and 20 rounds from Amritsar on Pandit’s instructions. Radha and Babita allegedly travelled to Mumbai and handed over the weapon and ammunition to other conspirators.
The firing took place in Mumbai’s Juhu area on the evening of October 18, when shooters allegedly opened fire at Tiger Shroff’s car before fleeing on a motorcycle. The actor escaped relatively unhurt, while his driver and a bystander sustained injuries. The motorcycle was later found abandoned in Andheri. Police said the accused used a combination of a motorcycle, train and cab to flee before three suspects were arrested in Kota.
