Three people have been arrested after five rounds were fired at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area, prompting a police manhunt and tighter security around members of the film industry, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said after meeting the actor late Sunday night.
The firing took place at about 7pm on Sunday as motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire at Shroff’s car while he was leaving a football club in Juhu. Shroff escaped gunshot injuries but suffered injuries to his left hand from gunpowder and glass shards. His driver and another person were also injured in the incident.
Shinde visited Shroff at his Bandra residence to enquire about his health and reassure his family. He said the actor and his mother, Ayesha Shroff, were under considerable mental stress following the attack. Shinde also said there had been no dispute or altercation involving Shroff that could explain the firing.
The three arrested suspects were identified as a 17-year-old from Haryana, Hrithik Kumar alias Roshan, 22, and Rehan, 18. They were apprehended by the Anti-Gangster Task Force and Rajasthan Police at Kota railway station while travelling on a train from Mumbai towards Delhi.
Mumbai Police launched a manhunt after the firing and have been examining CCTV footage and tracking the suspects’ movements and alleged escape route. Investigators suspect that the attackers had tracked Shroff’s regular Sunday visits to the football ground and may have conducted a recce of the area before the shooting. The alleged roles of the three arrested men remain part of the investigation.
A social media post purportedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the firing. The post alleged that Shroff had ignored warnings and threatened people in the film industry who work closely with actor Salman Khan. Police are verifying the authenticity of the claim, and it has not been established as the motive for the attack.
Security was tightened outside Salman Khan’s Galaxy Apartments in Bandra after the incident, with police personnel wearing bulletproof jackets deployed outside the actor’s residence. Shinde said Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti had been instructed to review security arrangements for actors and other members of the film industry.
Speaking after his meeting with Shroff, Shinde warned criminal gangs that the government would not tolerate gang wars or attempts to intimidate public figures. He said the state would provide the Shroff family with all necessary assistance and security and that a special police team had been formed to trace those involved in the firing. The investigation and verification of the alleged gang claim are continuing.
