Three suspects arrested in connection with the shooting at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai were allegedly paid ₹50,000 collectively in advance for the attack and were trying to flee to Nepal via Delhi, probe has revealed.
The accused were apprehended at Rajasthan’s Kota railway station on Monday while travelling on the Pune-Jaipur Express.
A police source had earlier said the three suspects had collectively received ₹50,000 in advance for carrying out the task.
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Planned to flee to Nepal
The accused, identified as, Rehan alias Sukka, from Sonipat in Haryana; Hritik Kurmi alias Roshan, originally from Begusarai in Bihar and living in Mumbai; and a minor from Haryana, had a detailed escape route planned after the incident.
Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam said that they were allegedly planning to reach Delhi before fleeing to Nepal.
The route from India to Nepal may have been chosen because it offers an easy exit, with heavy traffic across the border and minimal documentation required to cross from one country to the other.
Gautam said police received information on Monday morning that the three primary suspects were travelling by train and were expected to arrive in Kota.
“Acting on this information, our team, within just 15 minutes, set a trap and thoroughly searched the entire train,” she said.
Anil Pandit was in contact with Rehan
Preliminary questioning has revealed a possible link between one of the accused and gangster Anil Pandit, who is allegedly associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
“Based on preliminary questioning, we got to know that Anil Pandit had been in contact with Rehan. Anil Pandit is linked to Lawrence Bishnoi,” Gautam said.
She added that the accused were travelling on the Pune-Jaipur Express and planned to reach Delhi before fleeing to Nepal.
The weapons allegedly used in the shooting have not yet been recovered.
“Weapons have not been found yet. However, they will be interrogated to determine what they did with the weapons, and appropriate legal action will follow,” Gautam said.
Police are questioning the suspects to establish their individual roles in the attack and determine the whereabouts of the weapons.
Bike used in attack recovered
Mumbai Police have also recovered the two-wheeler allegedly used by the assailants during the shooting. The motorcycle was found abandoned near Andheri railway station, police sources said.
Investigators traced the vehicle by examining CCTV footage from the scene, which led them towards DN Nagar in Andheri West. The footage allegedly showed the assailants heading towards the railway station after abandoning the motorcycle.
Police suspect that the accused boarded a train to escape from Mumbai. Mumbai Police alerted Kota police about their suspected movements, following which the three were apprehended at the railway station and handed over to Rajasthan Police.
Five rounds fired at Tiger Shroff’s car
The shooting took place around 7 pm on Sunday, when Shroff was leaving Pushpa Park in Mumbai’s Juhu area in his car. The actor was seated in the front passenger seat when three assailants allegedly fired five rounds at the vehicle.
Shroff escaped serious injury, while his driver and another person were injured in the incident.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has reportedly claimed responsibility for the shooting. Two alleged gang operatives, Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu, claimed responsibility in social media posts.