Rohit Shetty house firing: ‘Key link’ Golu Pandit held from UP

According to investigators, Pandit played a crucial role in the conspiracy by facilitating the hiring of shooters, providing logistical support, and connecting them to the absconding prime accused Shubham Lonkar

MUMBAI: A key accused in the firing at filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s Juhu residence was arrested on Saturday from Uttar Pradesh, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 14.

Rohit Shetty house firing: ‘Key link’ Golu Pandit held from UP

The accused, Pradeep Sharma alias Golu Pandit, was apprehended from Agra with assistance from the Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF), police said.

According to investigators, Pandit played a crucial role in the conspiracy by facilitating the hiring of shooters, providing logistical support, and connecting them to the absconding prime accused Shubham Lonkar.

Five rounds were fired outside Shetty’s residence in the early hours of February 1. Police said Pandit will be booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and produced before a local court on Sunday.

Police said Pandit was lodged in Tihar Jail at the time of the incident but allegedly coordinated the attack from there. Lonkar is believed to have subsequently guided the shooters to the target location - Shetty Tower in Juhu.

After being released on bail at the end of February, Pandit allegedly went into hiding and was being tracked by the Mumbai Crime Branch. Senior officers, including Joint Commissioner of Police Lakhmi Gautam and Additional Commissioner of Police Shailesh Balkawade, supervised the operation.

The Crime Branch had earlier arrested another accused, Pravin Lonkar, on March 7. The investigation is ongoing, and the chargesheet is yet to be filed, police said.