The firing at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai was allegedly carried out to extort money, assert the influence of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and create fear, Mumbai Crime Branch sources told
CNN-News18 on Tuesday, shedding light on the suspected motive behind the October 18 attack.
The investigation so far has been examining whether the firing was part of a broader intimidation strategy linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Anil Pandit, an alleged gang associate, had claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media post, though investigators are still establishing the roles of the accused and the chain of command behind the shooting.
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Shroff escaped serious injury when two men fired several rounds at his car in Mumbai’s Juhu area. His driver and a bystander were injured in the incident. The attack triggered a multi-state investigation, with police tracing the alleged shooters, their handlers and the supply of weapons used in the firing.
11 Arrested As Probe Traces Weapon Supply Chain
The Crime Branch has arrested 11 people in connection with the case, including 22-year-old engineering student Pranjal Thakral, who was apprehended in Indore. Investigators are examining his alleged role in the weapon supply network and his links with other accused.
According to reports, police recovered two firearms—a Turkish-made Zigana pistol and a country-made weapon—along with 10 live cartridges from an area near Surat railway station. The weapons have been sent for forensic and ballistic examination to establish whether they were used in the attack.
Investigators are also probing how the firearms were transported and concealed, and whether additional people helped the accused obtain or dispose of them. The arrest of Thakral has widened the investigation into the alleged support network behind the shooting.
Shooters Allegedly Received Updates From Handlers
A separate line of investigation concerns the communication between the shooters and their alleged handlers during their escape from Mumbai.
According to Crime Branch sources, the shooters were allegedly receiving real-time updates about the police investigation through calls and messages, with handlers monitoring television coverage of the incident.
At one point, after news channels aired images of the suspects, one of them allegedly received the message: “Tumhare chehre aa gaye hain, nikal jao waha se” — meaning, “Your faces are out, get out of there.”
Investigators are examining whether encrypted communication platforms, including Signal and Zangi, were used to coordinate the operation and help the suspects evade arrest.
The three shooters—Phool Singh, Rehan Rahisuddin Ansari and Ritik Mahto—were apprehended aboard a train in Kota, Rajasthan, on October 19, a day after the firing.
Were Other Bollywood Actors Also Targets?
Police are also investigating whether the alleged network had considered other Bollywood actors as potential targets.
According to earlier reports, the three shooters visited buildings where Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ranveer Singh reside during their time in Mumbai. Investigators are examining whether these visits were part of a plan to target the actors or whether the suspects went there for other reasons. A report said Aamir Khan may have been considered a target but was more difficult to track because he has multiple residences and an unpredictable schedule.
