The pistols used in the dramatic shooting outside Bollywood actor Disha Patani's home in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly on September 12 were smuggled into India from Pakistan, investigators revealed, adding a cross-border dimension to the attack.
According to an India Today report, police recovered Turkish-made Zigana pistols and Austrian Glock pistols from the two shooters, Arun and Ravindra, who were involved in the attack.
The same model of Zigana pistol has previously been used in high-profile assassinations, including those of gangster Atiq Ahmed and Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, the publication further reported.
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The weapons were traced to smuggling routes originating in Pakistan, where the Zigana pistols are often flown into Punjab via drones, or alternatively trafficked through Nepal using air cargo networks.
Officials said the drone-delivered Zigana pistols, priced around ₹4 lakh, are increasingly popular among gangsters, especially those affiliated with the Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi syndicates.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said the drone-delivered Zigana pistols, priced around ₹4 lakh, are increasingly popular among gangsters, especially those affiliated with the Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi syndicates.
{{/usCountry}}The Zigana model is preferred due to its light weight and the ability to fire 15 bullets at a time. The pistol does not heat up easily, either.
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As per the police, Ravinda alias Kullu and Arun, the shooters linked to the firing at Disha Patani's residence, are affiliated with notorious gangsters Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara. They were killed in a police encounter in Ghaziabad following the incident.
Shooting at Disha Patani's house
ADG Yash stated that the incident occurred on September 12 at around 3:45 am, when two bike-borne men fired multiple rounds outside the actor's ancestral home in Civil Lines, Bareilly.
On Wednesday, the two accused involved in the firing succumbed to injuries following an encounter in a joint operation by Delhi Police and UP STF in Ghaziabad.
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Police said that the attack is believed to have been orchestrated by five shooters from the Goldy Brar gang. One dropped out due to illness, while the remaining four carried out the attack.
Police say they have scanned over 2,000 CCTV clips in their ongoing effort to track the remaining suspects.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had assured Disha Patani's father, Jagdish Patani, of strict action against the accused and security arrangements.