Tiger Shroff firing incident: Accused shaved head weeks before shooting; Nepal escape foiled
New Delhi: One of the suspects arrested for opening fire at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai had shaved his head to avoid being identified by locals, according to police investigation.
The suspect, identified as Ritik, alias Roshan, previously sported long hair. Investigators found that he shaved his head completely nearly two months after the conspiracy was hatched so that neighbours wouldn’t easily recognise him. By Sunday, when the firing actually occurred, his hair had only grown back slightly.
Ritik was caught on Monday morning along with two others at Kota railway station in Rajasthan. Kota Police nabbed the trio from a general coach of the Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express. The other two have been identified as Rehan, a resident of Sonipat in Haryana, and a juvenile.
Escape route to Nepal and Bishnoi gang link
Following their detention, Kota Police handed the three suspects over to a team from Mumbai Police. The officers formally placed them under arrest and presented them before a local magistrate, securing transit remand to bring them back to Mumbai.
The Mumbai Police escort stayed overnight in Kota to avoid the risks of night driving on the highway after a long trip, before setting off for Mumbai by road on Tuesday morning.
According to investigators, the accused fled to Surat immediately after the shootout in Mumbai and boarded a train headed toward Jaipur. Their plan was to take a bus to Delhi from there and cross the border into Nepal.
Probe details have also revealed that Rehan was in touch with Anil Pandit, an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Notably, the Bishnoi syndicate had earlier claimed responsibility for targeting the Bollywood actor unverified social media post.
Attack in Juhu and heightened security
The shooting took place on Sunday evening in Mumbai’s Juhu neighbourhood. Two men arrived on a motorcycle and fired five to six rounds directly at Tiger Shroff’s car before speeding away.
While Shroff escaped unhurt, his driver and a bystander suffered injuries during the attack. The motorcycle used by the attackers was later recovered abandoned in Andheri.
Mumbai Police have registered an FIR under charges of attempt to murder and relevant sections of the Arms Act.
Security was kept tight while the suspects were held at the Railway Colony Police Station in Kota. Station SHO Ramswaroop said CCTV cameras at the premises were directly linked to police headquarters and security protocols were strictly maintained throughout the night.