Tiger Shroff attack: three suspects held in Kota after shots fired at actor's car in Mumbai's Juhu

Key takeaways

• Men on a motorcycle opened fire at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu area at around 7pm on Sunday, October 18, as he was leaving a football club, police said.
• Shroff, 36, did not suffer gunshot wounds but had minor injuries; his driver, Firdos (also spelt Firdous), was shot in the left hand. Police said three people in total were hurt, including an autorickshaw driver.
• Mumbai Police, working with Rajasthan's Anti-Gangster Task Force, caught three suspects at Kota railway station on Monday, NDTV and Hindustan Times reported.
• A social-media claim of responsibility was made in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police have not confirmed who was behind the attack.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde condemned the attack and promised action against the "masterminds".

What happened

According to Hindustan Times, three men on a motorcycle fired at Shroff's vehicle in Juhu on Sunday evening. NDTV, citing the police complaint, said the actor was returning by car after playing football. Reports differ on whether two or three men took part in the shooting.

Shroff was later seen with bandages on his chest and left arm when Eknath Shinde visited him at home on Sunday night, HT reported. NDTV said he had injuries to his shoulder, chest and arm. Police told ANI, as quoted by NDTV, that the actor is safe and was not hit by bullets.

Mumbai Police registered a case against unidentified persons and formed 15 teams to investigate, according to NDTV, which cited ANI.

Arrests in Kota

NDTV reported that all three suspected shooters were caught at Kota railway station in Rajasthan while travelling by train after fleeing Mumbai. Hindustan Times also reported that the suspects had been caught in Kota. Police had not released their names or formally detailed charges at the time of these reports.

The gang claim

Hindustan Times reported that a person identifying himself as Anil Pandit claimed in a post that he and Harman Sandhu were behind the attack on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. This claim has not been verified by police. People close to Shroff told NDTV he had received no threats and had no dispute with anyone.

Police also tightened security outside Salman Khan's Bandra home after the incident, NDTV reported.

What leaders said

• Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister: police have "obtained certain clues" and identified some people, and the masterminds "who remain in hiding" will be traced. He called the attackers "cowards".
• Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister: "No gang will be spared." He said the safety of both celebrities and ordinary citizens is the government's responsibility.
• Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister, condemned the attack and urged people not to politicise it.
• Ashoke Pandit of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees said the attack had created fear in the film industry and compared it to the underworld threats of the 1980s and 1990s.
• Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil called it a failure of the state government and police.

A lucky decision

According to sources quoted by NDTV, Shroff told Shinde that he usually stops to take photos with fans after his weekend football games, but on Sunday he was tired and skipped it.

What happens next

• Police questioning of the three suspects held in Kota and whether they are brought back to Mumbai.
• Whether investigators confirm or rule out any gang link.
• Any statement from Tiger Shroff or his family.

This is a developing story and will be updated.