Rohit Shetty targetted by Lawrence Bishnoi gang due to filmmaker's links with Salman Khan, say Mumbai cops

Police conclude investigation into the firing at the filmmaker’s Juhu home; prepare 2,000-page charge-sheet

The firing outside Hindi filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s Juhu home was carried out by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, largely due to Shetty’s proximity to actor Salman Khan and a broader attempt to terrorise the film industry.

Rohit Shetty residence shooting case has now has a Salman Khan connection. (AFP/PTI)

This was the motive behind the February 1 firing at Shetty’s residence, according to the Mumbai police, who have concluded their investigation into the high-profile case. The Mumbai crime branch has prepared a 2,000-page charge-sheet, which will be filed in court soon.

“NCP leader Baba Siddique was earlier shot dead by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang due to his links to Salman Khan. Since we have found no extortion angle to the Rohit Shetty firing incident, we believe the filmmaker was targeted due to his close ties to Salman Khan. The firing was also a message to Bollywood at large, an industry the gang wants to terrorise,” said a senior police officer.

Investigators suspect a religious vendetta against Khan stemming from his poaching of two blackbucks—an animal the Bishnoi community considers sacred—near Jodhpur in 1998. Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, a member of the community, has on several occasions threatened to kill Khan.

Police makes 15 arrests in shooting at Rohit Shetty residence case

Police have made 15 arrests in the Rohit Shetty firing case so far. One of them is key Lawrence Bishnoi associate Pravin Lonkar, brother of prime accused Shubham Lonkar, who is at large. The other key arrest is that of the shooter, Deepak Sharma, who fired five shots at Shetty’s home early on February 1, said the police officer.

Police said Aarzu Bishnoi, another Lawrence Bishnoi aide, also played a key role in hatching the conspiracy and executing it. He too is at large.

After the firing incident, both Shubham Lonkar and Aarzu Bishnoi claimed responsibility for the act in social media posts. “We warned him (Rohit Shetty) several times not to interfere in our work. When he failed to understand, this was just a small trailer. If he still does not understand, the next bullet will not be fired outside the house but inside the bedroom, aimed at his chest,” said Lonkar’s post.

It went on to say that “those who do not comply (with the gang’s demands) will face severe consequences and their condition would be worse than that of slain Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique”.

After the Shetty firing, the Mumbai police cast their net wide, with arrests being made in Mumbai, Pune and Agra. The 24-year-old shooter, Deepak Sharma, was apprehended in Agra with the help of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and the Haryana police. The Pune-based group had provided the scooter used by Sharma in the firing.

Another key suspect arrested is Pradeep Sharma alias Golu Pandit, who had allegedly worked for the Bishnoi gang earlier as well. “Pandit was in touch with Lonkar and arranged the youths to carry out the firing,” said the police officer.

Police said the young men were unemployed and largely uneducated, and were impressed by the lifestyle of Bishnoi gang members via their social media videos. “They were told that the firing was one of the biggest opportunities in their lives,” said the senior officer. “Although they were promised ₹3 lakh each, for firing a few bullets at the filmmaker’s house, they were paid only ₹50,000,” he added.

Police said since prime accused Shubham Lonkar is part of the Bishnoi gang, and the gang has a long history, the accused have been booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA).