Mumbai: The three suspects arrested in connection with the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai had arrived in the city nearly 20 days before the attack and allegedly conducted a recce of the same football ground a week before the shooting, police investigation has revealed.
The accused, including a minor, were apprehended by Kota City Police in Rajasthan at Kota railway station while travelling aboard the Pune-Jaipur Express. They have been identified as Phulsing Naresh, a Class 12 pass-out from Sonipat in Haryana; Rehan Rashiddin, a Class 9 pass-out from Sonipat; and Rithik, a Rapido driver who had been residing in Mumbai.
According to the investigation, Rithik was riding the motorcycle used in the crime, while Rehan and Phulsing allegedly fired the shots. The suspects had reportedly visited the same football ground last Sunday to conduct a recce when actor Tiger Shroff was playing there.
Investigators have also found that the accused purchased a motorcycle on September 11, allegedly as part of their preparation for the attack.
After the firing, the three allegedly executed a plan to mislead the police and escape using different modes of transport. They first travelled by motorcycle to Andheri railway station, from where they boarded a local train to Kandivali.
After getting down at Kandivali, they reportedly booked a cab and travelled to Surat. From Surat, they boarded a train heading towards Kota, where police intercepted and arrested them.
Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam said the police acted on intelligence inputs that the suspects were travelling aboard the Pune-Jaipur Express. A team surrounded and searched the train, completing the operation within approximately 15 minutes.
Preliminary questioning indicated that the accused initially planned to travel to Delhi before escaping to Nepal. Police are also investigating Rehan’s alleged contact with Anil Pandit, who is reportedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, to establish whether the connection had any role in the attack.
Police have seized a mobile phone from the accused. Phulsing has a previous case registered against him for motor vehicle theft, while Rehan faces a case under the Arms Act.
The weapon allegedly used in the firing has not yet been recovered. A Mumbai Police team has reached Kota to take custody of the accused.
The incident took place around 7 p.m. on Sunday in Mumbai’s Juhu area when shots were fired at a vehicle in which Tiger Shroff was travelling after returning from a football ground. The actor escaped a direct hit but sustained an injury from a fragment of shattered glass. The driver and another person were also injured.
Further investigation is underway to establish the motive and identify other possible links in the case.
–IANS–
