Kota: Two men have been arrested, and a 17-year-old boy detained in Rajasthan’s Kota in connection with the firing at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai, while police have detained two other people as the investigation into the attack widens, India Today reported the development on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Phool Singh and Rehan, both residents of Haryana, while the juvenile is from Bihar.
A joint team of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Rajasthan and Kota City Police arrested the three from the Railway Colony area following inputs from Mumbai Police. The accused had arrived in Kota aboard the Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express at around 10.15 am.
Two other people have also been detained in connection with the shooting, including one from the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, the news portal quoted officials as saying.
The arrests came a day after unidentified men opened fire at Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening, when the actor was leaving after playing a football match.
Shroff escaped unhurt, but his driver, Firdaus, and an autorickshaw driver, identified as Chauhan, were injured in the incident. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde later said the actor had suffered gunpowder burns on his right hand.
CCTV footage of the incident showed one of the attackers firing multiple rounds, while the second appeared to attempt to fire. It was not immediately clear whether the second man’s weapon discharged. A third person was seen waiting on a motorcycle, apparently to help the attackers escape.
Police have seized the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack. The accused reportedly abandoned it near Andheri railway station before fleeing.
Investigators are examining the vehicle’s registration details, number plate, chassis and engine numbers to establish its history and trace its links to the shooting.
An image reportedly showing two suspected shooters near the scene had also surfaced before the arrests. The identities of the men in the photograph were not known at the time.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the firing and issued fresh threats against people working with actor Salman Khan, according to reports.
The gang’s hostility towards Salman Khan is linked to the blackbuck poaching case dating back to the late 1990s. The blackbuck is considered sacred by the Bishnoi community.
The alleged threat has raised fresh concerns over the safety of Bollywood personalities, particularly those associated with Salman Khan.
Reacting to the attack, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the attackers as “cowardly individuals” and said their attempts to strike from the shadows would be thwarted.
Shinde, who visited Shroff at his residence after the incident, termed the shooting serious and warned that no gang or individual would be allowed to revive gang wars in Mumbai.
