The investigation into the shooting attack on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff's car has taken a major turn. Mumbai Police have made a fourth arrest — a man named Sameer, picked up in Sonipat, Haryana, who allegedly served as the crucial link between the three shooters and Anil Pandit, the California-based operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang accused of masterminding the attack.
First report: How the attack unfolded on Sunday evening — Read the first report here →
What Happened on Sunday Evening
On Sunday, October 18, three men on a motorcycle opened fire on Tiger Shroff's BMW near Pushpa Park in Juhu, Mumbai, as the actor was returning from a football ground. Shroff escaped unhurt. The attackers fled the city, triggering a multi-state manhunt by Mumbai Police's Crime Branch.
Tiger Shroff spotted in Juhu, Mumbai — the neighbourhood where the firing took place. (Image: Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Juhu Chowpatty, Mumbai. (Image: Suraj Digrase, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Fourth Arrest: Who Is Sameer?
According to reports by India Today and Dainik Jagran, the fourth accused, Sameer, was arrested in Sonipat, Haryana. Investigators say Sameer was the man who put the three shooters in touch with Anil Pandit — the alleged mastermind coordinating the plot from the United States.
With Sameer's arrest, police believe they have found the missing middle link in the chain: Pandit gave the orders from California, Sameer connected the ground team, and the three shooters carried out the attack in Mumbai.
How the Plot Worked: Cash, an Anonymous App and False Promises
The investigation has revealed how the hit was allegedly organised:
- Lured with money and dreams: One shooter, Rehan (alias Sukha), was allegedly promised ₹35,000 and settlement abroad. Another, Hrithik Kumar — who knew Mumbai's streets well — was lured with the promise of a good job overseas.
- Money trail: Pandit allegedly sent money online from abroad, which the shooters collected in cash through a local shop.
- Anonymous communication: The group communicated through the Jaggi app, which does not require user identification — making the conversations hard to trace.
- The weapon: Investigators say the guns were not handed over directly; the shooters were reportedly messaged the location of weapons left near a garbage bin.
- A failed earlier attempt: Before the Tiger Shroff attack, Rehan and fellow shooter Phool Singh had allegedly tried to shoot a businessman in Amritsar — but their pistol failed to fire.
The Kota Arrests: Caught While Fleeing to Nepal
The three shooters — Rehan, Phool Singh and Hrithik Kumar — were arrested on Monday morning, October 19, aboard the Pune-Jaipur Express at Kota railway station in Rajasthan, in a joint operation by Mumbai and Rajasthan Police.
Kota SP Tejaswani Gautam told ANI that preliminary questioning revealed the trio planned to travel to Delhi and then escape to Nepal. She also confirmed that Rehan had previously been in contact with Anil Pandit.
The shooters had been living in Mumbai for about a month before the attack, conducting recce of the target area. The motorcycle used in the shooting — a yellow Pulsar 220 — was recovered near Andheri railway station; it had changed hands three times before the attack.
Who Is Anil Pandit?
Anil Pandit has emerged as the central figure in the case. According to Hindustan Times and Indian Express reports:
- He is a resident of Rai Kalan village in Haryana's Panipat district and left India around December 2023, reportedly travelling to the US via an illegal "dunki" route.
- Based in California, he allegedly works as a key coordinator for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, directing extortion and attacks in Delhi, Haryana and Mumbai.
- Police say he is wanted in more than 12 extortion cases in Haryana.
- The Bishnoi gang is the same network behind the April 2024 firing outside Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartments residence in Bandra.
Investigation Status
Mumbai Police on patrol. (Image: Suyogaerospace, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Mumbai Police have formed 20 special Crime Branch teams to dismantle the network. Bullet shells recovered from the scene have been sent for ballistic examination, and CCTV footage from railway stations and the escape route is being analysed.
However, police officials have also been careful with claims: as of Monday evening, no weapon had been recovered from the three arrested shooters, and officers said the motive behind the firing would be confirmed only after detailed interrogation. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected as police trace others who helped the gang.
Political Reactions
The case has also sparked a political row in Maharashtra, with the Congress accusing the state government of shielding organised crime syndicates — a charge the ruling side has rejected. Opposition leaders have demanded a wider probe into the Bishnoi gang's network in Mumbai.
What Happens Next
The arrested accused are being brought to Mumbai on transit remand for joint interrogation by the Crime Branch and Haryana Police. Investigators are now focused on three questions: who else in Mumbai helped the shooters, where the weapons came from, and whether more celebrities or businessmen were on the gang's target list.
FAQs
1. Who has been arrested in the Tiger Shroff firing case?
Four people: the three alleged shooters — Rehan, Phool Singh and Hrithik Kumar (arrested at Kota station on October 19) — and Sameer, arrested in Sonipat, Haryana, who allegedly linked the shooters to gang operative Anil Pandit.
2. Who is Anil Pandit?
A California-based alleged operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, originally from Panipat, Haryana. Police say he coordinated the attack from the US, funded it, and is wanted in over 12 extortion cases.
3. Was Tiger Shroff injured?
No. Shroff escaped unhurt in the October 18 attack on his car in Juhu, Mumbai.
4. How were the shooters caught?
Police tracked the motorcycle used in the attack and the escape route, intercepting the trio on the Pune-Jaipur Express at Kota railway station as they allegedly tried to flee towards Delhi and Nepal.
5. Has the motive been confirmed?
Not officially. Police say the motive will be ascertained after interrogation; the gang link is being investigated through the accused's contact with Anil Pandit.
Sources: India Today, Dainik Jagran, Aaj Tak, ANI, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, LatestLY.