Tiger Shroff targeted after shooters abandoned plan to attack Salman Khan: Reports
The accused allegedly conducted a recce at Salman Khan’s Bandra residence before targeting Tiger Shroff
Salman Khan was reportedly the initial target of the three men accused in Sunday's (October 18) firing incident in Mumbai's Juhu area. The men allegedly changed their plans after visiting the actor's Bandra residence and assessing the security arrangement there.
The three shooters are suspected of having links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Reports said that they had conducted a recce at Khan's home but decided against attacking because of the security arrangements.
When accused decided to target Shroff
They then turned their attention to Tiger Shroff, reported IANS, quoting sources. The men allegedly tracked the actor's movements through his Instagram account and videos and posts shared by his fans.
Also Read: Tiger Shroff firing: 4 more, including 2 women, arrested in Delhi and Haryana
Shroff was leaving when the shooters allegedly opened fire at his car. The incident took place on a busy Sunday evening and was caught on video.
The actor, son of veteran star Jackie Shroff, escaped with relatively minor injuries. His driver and a bystander were injured in the firing.
Accused arrested in Rajasthan
After the attack, the accused reportedly travelled to Surat in Gujarat and then took a train to Jaipur. Police suspect they planned to reach New Delhi by bus before escaping to Nepal, reported the Times of India.
Also Read: Tiger Shroff’s team says actor hasn’t issued any statement on firing attack
According to the Mumbai Police, three men have been arrested in Rajasthan's Kota in relation to the attack. The investigators said that the arrested have been identified as Ritik, alias Roshan, from Begusarai in Bihar, and Rehan from Sonipat in Haryana.
The arrested have been booked for attempted murder and under the Arms Act. According to media reports, Rehan was in touch with Anil Pandit, who is suspected of having links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Who accepted responsibility for firing
Following the attack, a social media post and an audio message attributed to people claiming links to the gang began circulating. The messages claimed responsibility for the firing and called on Salman Khan to apologise to the Bishnoi community. They also carried threats against people associated with the actor.
According to media reports, the dispute between Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi originates from the 1998 blackbuck poaching case in Rajasthan. The Bishnoi community regards the animal as sacred. Khan has received repeated threats over the years. In April 2024, shots were fired outside his Bandra residence.