Mumbai: The investigation into the firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff has reportedly revealed that the accused were promised overseas job opportunities and additional money for carrying out the attack.
Investigators are now examining the alleged financial arrangements and the role of individuals suspected of recruiting and funding the accused.
Two men allegedly fired seven rounds targeting Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, while a third accomplice waited nearby on a motorcycle.
The trio subsequently fled on the bike, abandoned it near Andheri West railway station and boarded a train to Jaipur.
The three accused have been identified as Hritik, alias Roshan, 22, from Begusarai in Bihar; Rehan, 18, from Sonipat in Haryana; and Phool Singh, 18, also from Haryana.
According to reports, they were collectively paid an advance of Rs 50,000 to carry out the attack, with the promise of additional money after its successful execution.
Investigators are also examining alleged payments made in multiple small instalments, reportedly to make the financial trail harder to trace.
According to sources, a handler allegedly contacted one of the accused and lured them with the promise of financial rewards.
Police are investigating the handler’s suspected role, along with that of other associates, in recruiting and financing the accused.
Investigators suspect that Anil Pandit, an associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, may have been connected to the alleged arrangement through the handler.
Bishnoi reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack on Shroff through Pandit.
Soon after the alleged assassination attempt, an audio clip surfaced on social media featuring a man speaking in Hindi.
The speaker claimed to represent the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and took responsibility for the attack on Shroff.
“I am Anil Pandit. I am like a younger brother to Lawrence Bishnoi. What happened with Tiger Shroff today, we take responsibility for that — Harman Sandhu and myself,” he reportedly said.
The speaker further claimed that Shroff had been warned earlier but had failed to heed the warning. He also issued death threats against those associated with actor Salman Khan.
“Anyone in the film industry who works without aligning with us or works with Salman Khan will be killed. This is the first and last warning,” he allegedly said.
The three accused were apprehended on Monday morning while travelling by train through Kota in Rajasthan and heading towards Delhi.
According to police, they were allegedly planning to flee to Nepal.
The Crime Branch had formed around 20 special teams to track down and arrest the suspects.
“On the basis of fieldwork and technical analysis, the bike was traced near Andheri West Railway Station,” the Mumbai Police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Raj Tilak Roushan described how investigators tracked the suspects using CCTV footage and technical analysis.
“Based on CCTV footage and other technical analysis, we found out the path of the three. It was found that they had headed toward northern Mumbai and left for Surat. We then found out that they had left on the Pune-Jaipur Express. We found out which compartment they were on and informed Kota Police. The Kota Police nabbed them,” he said.