Two of the three accused were allegedly hired to carry out the shooting, while the third is suspected of helping them escape after the attack. One of the accused is a 17-year-old minor from Sonipat, Haryana. The other two have been identified as Hritik Kumar, alias Roshan, 22, from Begusarai, Bihar, and Rehan, 18, from Sonipat, Haryana.
Hritik Kumar currently lives in Andheri West, Mumbai, and works as a Rapido rider. Rehan’s background has also emerged as part of the investigation, with details of his family circumstances and previous criminal history drawing attention.
Rehan had been estranged from his father for the past 12 years. He dropped out of school after failing Class 9 and had previously been jailed in a case related to the illegal possession of firearms. His mother, Samsida, works for a private company.
According to Rehan’s maternal aunt, Afsana, he took up welding work after being released from jail and would leave home saying he was going to work. He was at home during Bakrid and left after celebrating Eid, telling family members that he was heading out for welding work. Rehan lived with his mother and aunt at his maternal uncle’s house. Despite repeated objections and efforts by family members to steer him away from criminal activities, he allegedly continued to be involved in crime.
The arrests followed information provided by Mumbai Police, which was tracking the suspects after the firing incident in Mumbai’s Juhu area. The accused were travelling on the Pune-Jaipur Express when the joint Rajasthan operation intercepted them at Kota railway station.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that the three accused had been apprehended in Rajasthan after Mumbai Police shared information about their movements with Rajasthan Police. He said the suspects had initially fled towards Surat before boarding the train to Jaipur.
“We have nabbed them from Rajasthan. They fled towards Surat. They took a Pune-Jaipur Express train. Mumbai Police shared info with Rajasthan Police and thats how Rajasthan Police nabbed them. Rajasthan Police arrested them from Kota station,” Fadnavis said.
The arrests came as Mumbai Police intensified their search for the suspects. Earlier, the first images of the alleged shooters had emerged during the investigation. One of the close-up images showed two men standing together, with one wearing a black cap.
According to news agency ANI, investigating agencies suspect that the attack was carried out by trained shooters who had conducted reconnaissance of the actor’s movements before opening fire. Sources said the assailants allegedly monitored Tiger Shroff’s weekly routine and knew that he regularly visited the Juhu football ground on Sundays.
The suspects are believed to have timed the attack to coincide with Shroff leaving the venue in his car. After the firing, they allegedly followed a pre-planned escape route along SV Road, passing through Vile Parle and Andheri.
The assailants reportedly abandoned their motorcycle near Andheri West railway station before boarding a train towards Borivali. Preliminary intelligence indicated that the suspects subsequently crossed the Maharashtra border and entered neighbouring Gujarat in an attempt to evade law enforcement, ANI reported.
The firing took place in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening, when unidentified assailants targeted Shroff’s car. The 36-year-old actor escaped without injuries, while his driver and another person were injured. The incident triggered an investigation into the alleged involvement of organised criminal networks.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media post that has gone viral. However, police have not yet verified the authenticity of the claim.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde warned that gang violence would not be tolerated in Mumbai and said those responsible for the firing on Shroff’s car would face a strong response.
Shinde visited Shroff at his residence in Mumbai’s Bandra area late Sunday night following the incident. During the visit, he checked on the actor’s health, spoke to his concerned family and assured them that adequate security would be provided.
After meeting the actor, Shinde said criminal networks needed to be uprooted again, referring to action taken against gangs during the 1990s.
“Their roots were dug up in the 1990s when gang wars had flourished. The time has come to uproot them in the same way again,” he said.
Responding to a question about the firing on Shroff’s car, Shinde warned that such attacks would be met with a forceful response.
“It will be tit for tat, bullets for bullets,” he said.
The arrest of the three suspects at Kota railway station marks a significant development in the investigation, which has involved police coordination across state borders. Investigators suspect that the alleged shooters tracked the actor’s movements before carrying out the attack and subsequently used a planned escape route to evade arrest. The authenticity of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s claim of responsibility remains unverified by police.
About The Author
Comment List