Aamir Khan was the original target: Why did shooters switch to Tiger Shroff?
New Delhi: The investigation into the firing incident targeting Tiger Shroff has taken a new turn, with a report now claiming that the alleged shooters were initially instructed to target Aamir Khan. The plan was reportedly changed only after they failed to find an opportunity to attack the actor despite repeatedly keeping watch around his Mumbai residence.
According to The Indian Express, citing police sources, alleged shooters Phool Singh and Rehan Ansari arrived in Mumbai from Haryana on September 20. They reportedly spent nearly a month conducting reconnaissance around areas where Bollywood stars lived before Tiger Shroff was eventually targeted.
Was Aamir Khan the original target?
According to the report, Phool Singh and Rehan Ansari allegedly visited the area around Aamir Khan’s residence at least three times. However, they reportedly struggled to find an opportunity to target the actor because he was either away for film shoots or would remain inside his home for days.
“The shooters had been told to target Aamir Khan. While the shooters claimed to not know the motive, we suspect it is in line with the threat issued earlier this year,” an officer told the publication.
Police reportedly suspect that the alleged plan could be connected to a threat Aamir received in July. According to the report, a person claiming to be Arzoo Bishnoi, an alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had threatened the actor over his relationship with Gauri Spratt. A social media screenshot and an audio clip allegedly objected to the relationship on religious grounds and contained a warning directed at the actor.
The report comes as the investigation continues to widen, with the names of Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor surfacing during the probe as celebrities who were allegedly on the Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s radar before the attack on Shroff.
Why did alleged shooters switch from Aamir Khan to Tiger Shroff?
By the end of September, the alleged shooters had reportedly been unable to find an opportunity to target Aamir and changed their plan. Police sources cited by the publication claimed that they then contacted Anil Pandit, an alleged close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi who is currently believed to be in the US. Pandit has also been accused by investigators of playing a role in the Tiger Shroff firing case.
By the first week of October, Tiger Shroff had allegedly emerged as the new target. The accused reportedly shifted from Bandra to Andheri, bringing them closer to Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu, where Shroff was said to regularly play football on Sundays. Investigators suspect the men may have noticed Shroff’s movements while carrying out reconnaissance in the area. Aamir and Tiger’s residences are also located only a few kilometres apart, according to the report.
Tiger Shroff allegedly became target in October
Police are now trying to reconstruct how and when the alleged plan changed and what led the accused to zero in on Tiger Shroff. Tiger Shroff was attacked while leaving a football club in Juhu on Sunday. Two assailants allegedly opened fire at his car at around 7 pm. The actor escaped unhurt, while his driver and a bystander sustained injuries.
The investigation has since revealed alleged preparations carried out before the shooting, including claims that the accused tested the firearm near Mumbai. Investigators have also learnt that the weapon allegedly went off accidentally while being handled inside an Andheri hotel room, with the bullet striking a bed.
Police are examining the alleged shooters’ movements, the procurement and transportation of the weapon and the wider network suspected of assisting them.
Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor surface in probe
Aamir is not the only Bollywood star whose name has emerged during the investigation.
Police are also probing claims that Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor had allegedly been considered as possible targets before the attack on Tiger Shroff. Tiger Shroff has previously publicly praised Salman and referred to him as the “real tiger of Bollywood”.