Tiger Shroff firing case: Three more accused remanded in police custody till October 28

Mumbai: Three men arrested in Haryana for their alleged involvement in the firing incident targeting actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai have been remanded in police custody until October 28.

Ankit alias Sarpanch Rajesh Khatak (18), Sameer Khatri (19) and Jatin Panchal (27), all residents of Sonipat in Haryana, were arrested on October 21 and brought to Mumbai on transit remand. They were produced before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate D S Khedkar on Friday.

The Mumbai Police sought their custody for further investigation, citing their alleged roles in conducting reconnaissance, supplying weapons and arranging logistics for the attack.

According to the police, Khatak accompanied the alleged shooters to conduct reconnaissance of locations associated with Shroff and was involved in planning the conspiracy. Investigators said he was in direct contact with the main accused, Anil Pandit, who remains wanted.

Pandit, a 32-year-old alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang believed to be operating from the United States, claimed responsibility for the October 18 attack in a social media post.

Police alleged that Khatak, Khatri and Panchal, along with individuals arrested earlier, monitored Shroff with the intention of killing him. Khatri and Panchal allegedly supplied the firearms and live cartridges used in the crime.

The three also allegedly arranged a motorcycle to help the shooters escape, conspired to destroy evidence after the attack and planned to facilitate the accused's escape abroad, investigators told the court.

Police seek custody for weapon recovery and further investigation

The police argued that custodial interrogation was necessary to recover the firearms allegedly used in the shooting and establish how the weapons were brought into Mumbai.

Investigators also sought to identify those who helped transport the firearms, the routes and vehicles used, and any local assistance provided to the accused.

The police said the investigation needed to be extended to the accused's home states to establish the full extent of their involvement. They also sought to determine whether the accused had links with other organised crime syndicates.

Opposing the remand plea, defence lawyers Ajinkya Mirgal and Gurjeet Singh argued that police custody was not necessary for recovering the weapons.

The defence maintained that the accused were not present at the crime scene and had no motive to commit the offence. It sought their transfer to judicial custody instead.

After hearing both sides, the court remanded the three accused in police custody until October 28.

Firing at Tiger Shroff's car in Mumbai

The firing incident took place in Mumbai's Juhu area on the evening of October 18, when at least two men allegedly fired at Shroff's car before fleeing on a motorcycle.

The actor escaped relatively unhurt, while his driver and a bystander sustained injuries.

According to the Mumbai Police, five to six rounds were fired at the vehicle. A motorcycle allegedly used by the shooters was later found abandoned in Andheri.

The police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act, including charges relating to attempted murder and other offences.

With the arrest of the three men from Haryana, the total number of arrests in the case has reached 10. The investigation is continuing.