Mumbai: Three men accused of firing at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai had planned to reach Delhi by train and then flee to Nepal, police said on Monday. They were caught in Rajasthan’s Kota before they could execute the escape plan.
The accused were travelling on the Pune–Jaipur Express when a joint team of the Rajasthan Anti-Gangster Task Force and Kota City Police intercepted them. The operation followed information shared by Mumbai Police after Sunday night’s shooting in Juhu.
Rs 50,000 Advance, Say Police
Police sources said the three suspects received Rs 50,000 as an advance to make the hit on the actor. Investigators are now questioning them to establish who fired the shots, what role each person played, and who commissioned the crime.
The accused have been identified as Rehan, alias Sukka, from Sonipat in Haryana; Hritik Kurmi, alias Roshan, from Begusarai in Bihar, who had been residing in Mumbai; and a minor. Police said they used Signal and Telegram to exchange messages and share locations while fleeing.
Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam said, “We covered the exit points, platforms and various other locations to apprehend the accused. It was the Pune-Jaipur Express. We received the information around 9:45 am. The Mumbai Police have arrived, and we will hand the accused over to them. Based on preliminary questioning, one of the accused is a Rapido rider. The other two, one of whom is a minor and the other, Rehan, work as labourers in Sonipat. Preliminary questioning revealed that they intended to travel to Delhi by this train and then escape to Nepal from there.”
She added, “This morning, we received information, prompting us to activate our team. We learned that the three primary suspects involved in the firing were travelling by train and were due to arrive in Kota. Acting on this information, our team, within just 15 minutes, set a trap and thoroughly searched the entire train. Through this swift action by the Kota City Police, we have apprehended all three suspects responsible for the firing.”
Attack Near Juhu Football Club
The shooting occurred on Sunday night as Mr Shroff was leaving a football club in Juhu. Video footage showed a man firing at the actor’s car from the front, while another man in a cap appeared to fire from the side. The attackers then fled on a motorcycle.
Police said the suspects abandoned the two-wheeler near Andheri West railway station before boarding a train towards Borivali. Mr Shroff escaped unhurt, but his driver and an autorickshaw driver were injured.
The firing weapon has not yet been recovered. The accused were travelling in a general compartment when they were detained.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has purportedly claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media post, but police have not verified the claim.
