Gangster Anil Pandit reportedly claimed responsibility on social media for firing at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff's car in Juhu, Mumbai, Maharashtra, on Sunday evening. The actor was inside the car when three assailants came in front of his car and fired at him.
The Delhi Police said preliminary questioning revealed that one of the suspected shooters, named Rehan (18), was in communication with Anil Pandit.
"Rehan had previously been in contact with Anil Pandit...," Kota SP Tejaswani Gautam said after three suspects in the shooting incident involving actor Tiger Shroff were rounded up in Rajasthan on Monday.
Police said on Monday that Anil Pandit is linked to Lawrence Bishnoi, the gangster behind the shooting outside actor Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartments residence in Bandra, Mumbai, in April 2024.
Operates from California, 12 cases of extortion: Pandit operates from abroad and issues directions to his associates from there.
Pandit is a resident of Rai Kalan village in Haryana’s Panipat district, according to a Hindustan Times report that cited the crime branch's statement.
Pandit reportedly left India around 2023 and had no significant criminal record.
He is believed to have travelled to the United States via the ‘dunki’ route in December 2023 and begun working for the Bishnoi gang shortly after.
Police said that he has become involved in coordinating criminal activities from abroad since leaving the country. He's now wanted in more than 12 cases of extortion in Haryana, police were quoted as HT said.
According to police officers, Pandit primarily operates from California and is associated with other alleged syndicate members, including Harman Sandhu, Harry Boxer, Shubham Lonkar, and Randeep Malik.
Intimidate celebrities: Anil Pandit is accused of using threats and shootings to intimidate celebrities, artists and businessmen and demand protection money in the name of the Bishnoi gang, the report added.
Anil Pandit allegedly operates as the key coordinator directing extortions and targeted attacks on actors, singers, and influencers across Delhi, Haryana, and Mumbai, the Indian Express reported.
Investigators suspect that he helps coordinate extortion demands and attacks carried out by shooters in India. "A probe revealed that Pandit communicates with all hired shooters on the Signal app and sends armed assailants to create terror for the Bishnoi gang,” a source told Indian Express.
Tiger Shroff shooting case: After the alleged assassination attempt on Tiger Shroff, Pandit and his associate Harman Sandhu released audio messages and social media posts, claiming responsibility for the attack, HT reported.
They issued warnings to members of the film industry against associating with certain people or defying the syndicate, police officers said.
In a purported audio clip received by multiple security agencies after the incident, Pandit is heard claiming responsibility, threatening the film industry and warning Bollywood star Salman Khan.
However, the authenticity of the clip is yet to be ascertained.
Apologise to Bishnoi: After the incident involving Tiger Shroff, a chilling audio purportedly featuring Anil Pandit surfaced, with the speaker threatening Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and demanding an apology to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and the Bishnoi community, the Times of India reported.
In the audio, shared by the Mumbai Crime Branch, Pandit warned Salman Khan against relying on his security and threatened his family if he did not apologise.
“Listen to me carefully, Salman Khan. If you don't apologise to my elder brother, Lawrence Bishnoi, or to the Bishnoi community, then we won't even leave a dog in your house. We will destroy your entire family. Keep this in mind. Don't think that you are in security and nothing will happen to you,” Anil Pandit was quoted by TOI as saying.
Past record of Anil Pandit
In the last eight months, three shooting incidents targeting celebrities in Haryana, Delhi, and Mumbai can be traced back to a single handler: Anil Pandit, the Indian Express reported.
Shooting at Guru Randhawa’s gym: Pandit reportedly took responsibility of the attack outside the ‘24HS Fitness’ gym in West Delhi, owned by Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa, on June 11.
Attack on Haryanvi singer Diler Kharkiya: A probe revealed that Pandit was linked to the targeted shooting of Haryanvi singer Diler Kharkiya, and that the attack was carried out as a warning after demands for extortion or compliance were ignored. The incident had happened in Khark Kalawan village in Bhiwani on September 17.
Extortion call to Delhi influencer: Manish Jain, a businessman from Rohini with 5.1 million Instagram followers and 40.5 million followers on his official company page, repeatedly received WhatsApp calls and messages from foreign numbers. Pandit was allegedly demanding ₹5 crore and threatening to kill him if he did not pay, the Indian Express reported.
Tiger Shroff shooting case
Three people, including a minor, allegedly involved in the firing at actor Tiger Shroff were detained on Monday in Rajasthan's Kota city from the Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express, police said.
Three assailants reportedly opened fire at Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu area on Sunday evening. The actor escaped unhurt, while his driver and another person were injured. Police said three rounds were fired at the "War" actor.
Kota Superintendent of Police (SP) Tejaswani Gautam said at a press conference that one of the accused was in touch with Anil Pandit, an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack in an unverified social media post.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Shroff at his residence in Mumbai's Bandra late Sunday night, enquired about the 36-year-old actor's health and reassured his family of full security.
Speaking after meeting Shroff, Shinde said the time had come to uproot criminal networks once again, referring to the crackdown on gangs in the 1990s. "It will be tit for tat, bullets for bullets," he said.
The Mumbai Police registered a case of attempt to murder in connection with the incident, and it was later transferred to the Crime Branch.
Born Jai Hemant Shroff on March 2, 1990, Shroff is one of Bollywood's premier action stars and martial artists, holding a 5th-degree black belt in Taekwondo.
He debuted with the film "Heropanti" in 2014 and cemented his status as an action hero with films like "Baaghi", "Baaghi 2" and the YRF Spy Universe hit "War".
(With inputs from agencies)