Tiger Shroff shooting case: Mumbai Police invoke MCOCA; 11 arrested so far

Police suspect the attack was intended to establish financial and territorial dominance and spread fear, with alleged Lawrence Bishnoi gang operative absconding

The Mumbai police crime branch has invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case related to the firing on actor Tiger Shroff. Section 3 of the Act, pertaining to organised crime, was added after obtaining approval from the competent authority, said Rajtilak Roushan, deputy commissioner of police, Mumbai crime branch.

The case began with an FIR registered on October 19 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act, a day after the firing in Mumbai’s Juhu area. (HT Photo)

The original first information report (FIR) was registered on October 19, a day after the incident, under sections 109(1) (attempt to murder) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant sections of the Arms Act.

Arrests and Ongoing Investigation

Shroff was shot at in Juhu on October 18 by two assailants, who fled from the spot with a getaway biker waiting there. The trio – Phool Singh, Rehan Ansari and Hrithik Mahato – was arrested on October 19 from aboard a Jaipur-bound train at Kota railway station. The following day, the Delhi police special cell arrested four alleged weapons suppliers – Radha Verma, Babita Rao, Kunal Jaminsingh, and Sumit Saroliya. Three more accused – Sarpanch Khatak alias Ankit, Sameer Khatri, and Jatin Panchal – were arrested from Sonipat, for allegedly providing logistical help and financing. Subsequently, Pranjal Thakral was arrested from Indore, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 11.

Alleged Motive

Anil Pandit, an alleged operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang who claimed responsibility for the attack on the actor via social media, is the prime accused in the case. He is absconding and believed to be hiding in foreign country. According to the police, the attack was executed for purposes of establishing financial and territorial dominance, as well as to create terror in society.