Umesh Chauhan, vlogger who went to film Tiger Shroff, lands in ICU with bullet wound

Umesh Chauhan, who makes YouTube videos to supplement his income, remains in the emergency ICU at KEM Hospital as doctors monitor his health condition.

Umesh Chauhan, 35, usually spends his Sundays filming celebrities and making vlogs for his YouTube channel. This past Sunday was no different, as he and his friend Kishan Rajbhar, 36, headed to a football ground in Juhu to meet and film actor Tiger Shroff. Minutes later, Chauhan was shot in the chest as gunmen fired seven rounds at the actor’s car. One of the bullets injured Chauhan’s liver, leaving him in the intensive care unit (ICU) of KEM Hospital.

Umesh Chauhan, was filming Tiger Shroff outside a Juhu football ground.

Chauhan, who takes up odd jobs during the week and makes vlogs on Sundays to supplement his income, lives in Mankhurd with his wife, who is eight months pregnant, and their six-year-old son.

Friend recalls Chauhan's concern for pregnant wife

His friend Rajbhar, who witnessed the shooting, said Chauhan was worried about his wife even as he was being rushed to the hospital.

“Even when he was being taken to the hospital in an autorickshaw, he kept worrying about his wife. He kept saying that this (firing incident) had to come at this juncture when his wife was set to deliver their second child,” said Rajbhar.

Rajbhar said Shroff greeted them before getting into his BMW, which began slowly moving out of the ground. The two friends followed the car, filming the actor, when gunfire erupted.

Witness says gunman fired at passenger side seat

“We first thought those were firecrackers, but then I saw a man passing next to me holding a pistol. He fired at least five rounds directly at the passenger side of the car where the actor was sitting. The glass shattered, and one piece hit me on my forehead,” said Rajbhar.

It was then that he realised Chauhan had been shot in the chest.

Rajbhar claimed the gunman suddenly stopped firing after his weapon jammed. “The shooter next to me then suddenly stopped firing as his firearm got stuck, still pointed at the passenger seat. He tried to shake it in an attempt to fire, but it could not fire. In the gap of those five seconds, I saw Tiger shifting to the driver’s seat while his driver got off with his left hand bleeding. The shooters had by then fled towards a waiting motorcycle, rode triple-seat and fled,” he said.

Chauhan was initially taken to the civic-run Cooper Hospital before being shifted to KEM Hospital in Parel early on Monday. Doctors said the bullet remained lodged in the left side of his chest, but they had decided against immediate surgery because his condition was stable and the injury was not immediately life-threatening.

Doctor monitor vlogger's liver injury

Dr Harish Pathak, dean of KEM Hospital, said Chauhan had suffered a liver injury, but there was no evidence of further bleeding. A blood clot appeared to have stopped the bleeding, an encouraging sign given that liver injuries can cause significant blood loss.

Chauhan continues to experience pain and remains under close observation in the emergency ICU. Doctors may conduct further detailed scans to assess the injury before deciding whether surgery is necessary.

Chauhan’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, has not visited him in the hospital. Police officers said doctors had advised the family against bringing her to the hospital, given her condition.

His father-in-law visited him at the Hospital on Monday morning, while other family members from Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar district were on their way to Mumbai after learning of his injury.

Tiger Shroff discharged after preliminary treatment

Meanwhile, Shroff, 36, who was also injured in the attack, was discharged from Nanavati Hospital on Sunday night after receiving preliminary treatment, hospital officials said.

His driver, Firdous Ibrahim, 48, remains admitted to Nanavati Hospital. He underwent surgery on Monday morning to remove a bullet fragment lodged in a bone in his hand. The hospital said the fracture had also been treated.