Three suspects have been detained in Rajasthan’s Kota in connection with the firing at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai, with police sources alleging that they received Rs 50,000 in advance for the attack. Investigators are questioning them to establish their individual roles in the incident.
The suspects were intercepted at Kota railway station on the morning of October 19 while travelling from Mumbai to Delhi. The operation involved Mumbai Police, Rajasthan Police and railway police. Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswini Gautam confirmed that two suspects were from Haryana and one from Bihar. A police source identified them as Rehan, 18, from Sonipat and Ritik, 22, originally from Begusarai, while the third was a minor.
The firing took place around 7 pm on October 18 near Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu, shortly after Shroff attended a football session. Police said two assailants approached his car and fired repeatedly as it entered the main road, while a third waited on a motorcycle. Shroff, who was seated in the front passenger seat, escaped serious injury but reportedly sustained injuries from gunpowder and glass fragments.
His driver, Firdous, was struck by a bullet in his left hand. Despite being injured, he reportedly got out of the car and attempted to chase the assailants. Doctors at Nanavati Hospital found a foreign body lodged in his hand, and he may require surgery. Another person was also injured.
An eyewitness, Salma Shaikh, who runs a blog documenting celebrities, said she initially mistook the gunshots for Diwali firecrackers. “We heard four or five gunshots. We initially thought they were celebratory shots for Diwali. But when the car stopped and the driver came out injured, we realised what had happened,” she said.
Investigators recovered the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack near Andheri railway station. CCTV footage reportedly helped police trace the suspects’ movements towards DN Nagar in Andheri West and the railway station. Police suspect they boarded a train to leave Mumbai before their counterparts in Kota intercepted them.
The detentions followed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s assurance that police had identified suspects. Fadnavis also spoke to Shroff and Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, directing the police to act swiftly and take strict action against those responsible.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack through social media posts by Anil Pandit, who identified himself as a representative of the group, and Harman Sandhu. Pandit allegedly claimed Shroff had been warned against working with actor Salman Khan and threatened others in the film industry who continued to work with Khan. An audio message shared by the Mumbai Crime Branch reportedly included a demand for Khan to apologise to Lawrence Bishnoi and the Bishnoi community. Police are verifying the authenticity of the posts and the audio message.
