Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde warned of “bullets for bullets” after gunmen fired at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai, as police formed 15 teams to trace the attackers and investigated a claim of responsibility linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
“It will be tit for tat, bullets for bullets,” Shinde told reporters after visiting Shroff at his Bandra residence late on Sunday. He assured the actor and his family of security and warned that the government would not tolerate gang wars in Mumbai.
Shroff’s driver, identified as Firdaus, and an autorickshaw driver, identified only as Chauhan, were injured in the firing near Pushpa Park in Juhu on Sunday evening. Firdaus sustained an injury to his left hand, a police official said.
“A total of 15 teams, including dedicated personnel from the Mumbai Crime Branch and local police, have been constituted to investigate the case from all angles and track down the culprits,” the official said.
Police are examining CCTV footage to identify the attackers. A forensic team also visited the scene to collect ballistic evidence, inspect the vehicle and establish the number of rounds fired.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Shroff and directed Mumbai Police commissioner Deven Bharti to expedite the investigation and arrest those responsible.
“We are all with you. We will track down the accused soon. Do not worry,” Fadnavis told the actor, according to the chief minister’s office, PTI reported.
The attack drew criticism from the Opposition. Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad demanded a separate state home minister, blaming Fadnavis, who holds the portfolio, for the law-and-order situation.
“Does Mumbai have law and order? Does the police still command the same authority and respect?” she asked in a video.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant also accused Fadnavis of failing to discharge his responsibilities and alleged that law and order had deteriorated.
Unverified gang claim puts screenshots under scrutiny
A viral social media post attributed to Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu claimed responsibility on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. It alleged that Shroff had ignored warnings against working with Salman Khan. Police have not yet verified the post’s authenticity.
A report in The Indian Express described how a screenshot of a post in Pandit’s name circulated soon after the firing, while the account itself was deleted. An audio clip featuring a person identifying himself as Pandit and claiming responsibility also emerged.
An unnamed officer told the newspaper that those claiming responsibility had changed their methods to make tracing the messages more difficult.
“Soon they changed their modus operandi. They would create an ID and put up a post claiming responsibility, take screenshots, delete the account and later share it with the media from unknown numbers,” the officer said.
The officer suggested that the method also allowed those circulating the messages to deny involvement later.
“In today’s time, while they do claim credit, they ensure they can have deniability in the future. Posting a screenshot ensures the URL of the link cannot be traced. In the future, the screenshot will hardly have any evidentiary value with high deniability.”
According to the report, audio messages carrying similar claims are also circulated from unknown numbers. Investigators suspect a Bishnoi gang connection because of similarities with its alleged methods, but responsibility for the attack remains under investigation.
With inputs from PTI