Tiger Shroff firing: Ranbir Kapoor was also on hit list, his Bandra home was scouted by attackers
New Delhi: In the latest development in the firing case, police said that actor Ranbir Kapoor was also on the hit list of the shooters. The Ramayana star was among the Bollywood stars whose houses were allegedly scouted by the accused.
Investigators have found that the actor’s residence in Pali Hill, Bandra, was subjected to reconnaissance as the suspects looked for potential targets in Mumbai.
Ranbir Kapoor’s residence was scouted
According to the investigation, the accused had gathered information about the homes and movements of several prominent Bollywood celebrities before the . Ranbir Kapoor’s Pali Hill residence was allegedly among the properties they scouted. The investigation has also found that the accused visited or gathered information about the residences of Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar.
According to IANS, the accused had allegedly been instructed to identify celebrities who had comparatively limited security. The suspects reportedly travelled around Mumbai in auto-rickshaws and asked drivers to take them to the homes of film stars on the pretext of wanting to photograph the residences.
Different auto-rickshaw drivers allegedly took them to the residences of , Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar.
Was Salman Khan the original target?
Police sources said the three accused shooters had initially planned to target Salman Khan. After arriving in Mumbai, they allegedly conducted a reconnaissance of his residence but found a strong police presence outside. The accused subsequently abandoned the alleged plan involving Salman, according to sources.
Security around the actor has remained tight since the firing outside his residence in 2024. Y-plus security cover has been provided to Salman by the Mumbai Police, with men posted outside his residence 24×7 and armed police personnel escorting him during his movements. Security teams also check locations the actor is scheduled to visit, and additional personnel are deployed at venues. Barricades have also been put up near his apartment as part of the enhanced security arrangements.
How did Tiger Shroff allegedly become the target?
According to sources, the accused later turned their attention to Tiger after gathering information about his movements. Investigators are looking into claims that the suspects learnt through fan posts and Instagram pages that Tiger regularly visited a football ground in Juhu on Sundays and travelled with comparatively fewer security personnel.
During one of their auto-rickshaw journeys, a driver also allegedly told the accused that Tiger played football at a Juhu ground every Sunday. The accused allegedly visited the ground on October 11, but the actor did not arrive that day.
They are alleged to have returned the following Sunday, October 18, this time carrying weapons. At around 7 pm, shots were allegedly fired at Tiger Shroff’s car. Police are now investigating whether information about the actor’s routine led the accused to select him after their alleged plans involving other celebrities did not materialise.
Five more suspects apprehended
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police Raj Tilak Roshan said five people, including two women, had been apprehended in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and were being brought to Mumbai. According to Roshan, technical analysis and interrogation helped the Crime Branch identify a wider network allegedly involved in procuring and supplying the firearms used in the shooting.
Police subsequently conducted simultaneous raids with assistance from Delhi and Haryana police. Delhi Police identified four of the arrested suspects as Kunal, 21, and Sumit, 19, both residents of Haryana’s Sonipat district, and Radha, 23, and Babita, 23, from Uttar Pradesh.
Roshan said investigators were uncovering what he described as a coordinated conspiracy. “Two of the arrested suspects had travelled to Amritsar to procure the weapons. The two female suspects then smuggled the firearms by train to Mumbai, handing them over directly to the attackers,” he said.
“The newly-arrested male suspect had stayed back in Mumbai alongside the shooters to provide logistical support and local assistance,” Roshan added.
According to Delhi Police, Kunal allegedly collected a pistol and 20 rounds from Amritsar on Anil Pandit’s instructions, with Sumit accompanying him. Radha and Babita allegedly transported the weapon to Mumbai.
Pandit, 32, has been described by police as a US-based gangster from Panipat and an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The investigation into the alleged conspiracy and the roles of those arrested is still underway.