New Delhi: Three accused arrested over the firing at actor Tiger Shroff’s car were brought from Kota to Mumbai early Wednesday and taken to the crime branch’s anti-extortion cell for interrogation. Their court-approved transfer came as investigators pursued an alleged weapons-supply network, with four more people arrested in a separate Delhi Police operation.
Police transported the men by road and took them to GT Hospital for mandatory medical examinations before questioning, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. A Kota magistrate had granted Mumbai Police 48 hours’ transit remand after their formal arrest, authorizing their transfer to another jurisdiction.
The men were identified as Rehan, alias Sukka, from Haryana’s Sonipat; Ritik Kurmi, alias Roshan, originally from Bihar’s Begusarai and living in Mumbai; and Phool Singh from Haryana. Earlier reports citing police identified the Mumbai-based accused as Hrithik Mahto, a discrepancy that has not been publicly clarified.
The case stems from Sunday evening’s shooting near a football ground in Juhu, where assailants fired at Shroff’s car and escaped on a motorcycle. Shroff was not hurt, but his driver and a bystander were injured. Police registered a case under attempted-murder provisions and the Arms Act.
As RNA Media reported earlier, investigators examined video footage of the attack and recovered a motorcycle allegedly used in the escape. Police say the three suspects were intercepted aboard a Jaipur-bound train at Kota on Monday after leaving Mumbai.
Arrests widen to alleged arms supply
The Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Kunal, 21, Sumit, 19, Radha, 23, and Babita, 23, on Tuesday in a related investigation. Police alleged that Kunal collected a pistol and 20 rounds from Amritsar on instructions from Anil Pandit, while Radha and Babita transported the weapon to Mumbai.
A court permitted Maharashtra Police to formally arrest the four and granted three days’ transit remand. These proceedings are separate from the custody authorization covering the three men brought from Kota.
Police examine motive and alleged handlers
Investigators are examining whether Pandit directed the operation through encrypted communications and whether the suspected arms supply was used in the shooting. Claims circulated on social media linking the attack to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang have not, by themselves, established responsibility or an extortion motive.
The Mumbai crime branch said Shroff was not the attackers’ original target and that they had initially planned to target another prominent Bollywood personality. “Tiger Shroff was not the shooters’ original target. The three shooters were targeting a prominent Bollywood celebrity. However, the celebrity’s security was so tight that the shooters were unable to target them,” the crime branch said, according to Asian News International (ANI). Investigators alleged that the accused later shifted their attention to Shroff, believing he would be easier to target. The police account did not identify the other celebrity.
Meanwhile, Shroff’s management team issued a statement on Tuesday warning against fabricated reports, AI-generated videos and unauthorized communications circulating on social media following the shooting. “We would like to categorically clarify that Tiger Shroff has made no statements, released no videos, and authorized no communication regarding the recent incident or any related developments,” the statement said. The team also warned that legal action could be initiated against individuals and digital platforms circulating misleading content falsely attributed to the actor, urging media organizations and social media users to rely on verified information.
The lawyer Ajinkya Mirgal Madhukar, who represents the three accused brought from Kota, arrived at the anti-extortion cell office on Wednesday. Speaking to ANI, he said, “The accused were brought to the anti-extortion cell office and before this, the convoy from Rajasthan went straight for a medical checkup. Inquiry is going on and in the morning, they will be presented before the court…” The accused had earlier been granted transit remand by a Kota magistrate, allowing Mumbai Police to transfer them to Maharashtra for further investigation.