‘Thought it was a heart attack’: Bystander recalls taking bullet in Tiger Shroff firing incident

New Delhi: When gunshots rang out outside a football ground in Mumbai’s Juhu on Sunday night, Umesh Chauhan assumed a tyre had burst. Seconds later, a sharp, crushing pain shot through his chest and he could barely catch his breath. In the panic of the moment, the 32-year-old believed he was having a heart attack. It was only after waking up at a hospital that he realised he had actually taken a bullet meant for Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff.

Chauhan recalled that he was standing close to the vehicle’s window, filming a video on his phone as Shroff drove out through the gate. As the attackers opened fire, Chauhan cried out for help before collapsing and losing consciousness, India Today reported.

He was rushed first to Cooper Hospital in Juhu and then shifted around midnight to KEM Hospital in Parel for advanced medical attention. The actor’s mother visited him at the hospital on Tuesday, offering support and reassuring his family of assistance.

Medical update and family worries

Doctors at KEM Hospital stated that Chauhan is haemodynamically stable and under close observation in the Emergency ICU, being cared for by the General Surgery department alongside specialists from Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. Fortunately, the bullet missed both his heart and lungs, allowing doctors to manage his condition conservatively without surgery for now.

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Chauhan earns a living in Mumbai working as a driver and domestic help to support his wife and six-year-old son. With his wife expecting another child in the coming weeks, the sudden violence has put his family under severe emotional and financial distress.

3 suspects nabbed in Rajasthan

The shooting occurred near Pushpa Narsee Park, where three men on a motorcycle pulled up two of them opening fire at Shroff’s car while the third waited to drive them away.

Rajasthan’s Kota City Police intercepted and detained the three accused aboard the Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express at Kota railway station while they were allegedly trying to cross into Nepal. Mumbai Police identified them as Ritik, Phool Singh, and Rehan, confirming that none of the suspects is a minor.

Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam noted that one of the arrested men was in touch with Anil Pandit, an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, though an unverified online post claiming responsibility on the gang’s behalf is still being investigated.