Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Preliminary findings in the firing at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai suggest a possible weapon malfunction, with investigators recovering two full cartridges among seven rounds fired during the attack, according to initial information.
The cartridges are of 7.62 mm calibre, and five empty shells were also found. Police suspect that a malfunction involving one of the shooters’ weapons could have resulted in a full cartridge being ejected. Investigators are also examining whether one of the weapons used was a Turkish-made Zigana pistol.
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The findings come as police investigate the shooting at Shroff’s BMW in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening, for which the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility.
THREE ACCUSED HELD IN RAJASTHAN
Two men have been arrested and a juvenile detained in Rajasthan’s Kota in connection with the firing. The accused have been identified as a 17-year-old boy and Rehan, both from Haryana, and Hrithik Kumar from Bihar.
A joint team of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Rajasthan and Kota City Police, acting on inputs from Mumbai Police, apprehended the three in the Railway Colony area. They had arrived in Kota aboard the Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express at around 10.15 am.
Two other people have also been detained in connection with the shooting, including one person from the Maharashtra-Gujarat border.
Earlier, Mumbai Police registered an attempt-to-murder case against the three accused. The FIR, initially registered at Juhu Police Station, has since been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The case has been registered under Sections 109(1), relating to attempt to murder, and 3(5), concerning acts done by several people in furtherance of a common intention, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
HOW THE SHOOTING UNFOLDED
The 36-year-old actor was leaving after playing a football match in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening when the accused allegedly fired multiple shots at his BMW sedan.
Shroff escaped unhurt, but his driver, Firdaus, and an autorickshaw driver identified as Chauhan were injured.
The actor was seated on the side of the vehicle when the shooting began and shifted towards the driver’s seat after the gunfire.
CCTV footage of the incident shows one of the men firing multiple shots, while the second appears to attempt to fire. It remains unclear whether the second man’s weapon discharged, a detail that could be relevant to the suspected weapon malfunction.
The third accused can be seen waiting on a motorcycle, seemingly ready to help the others escape.
Police have seized the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack. The accused reportedly abandoned it at Andheri railway station before fleeing.
Preliminary findings suggest that the motorcycle is registered in Mumbai. Investigators are examining its registration details, number plate, chassis number and engine number to establish its history.
BISHNOI GANG CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the shooting and issued fresh threats against those working with Bollywood actor Salman Khan.
The gang’s hostility towards Salman Khan stems from allegations that the actor hunted and killed two blackbucks in Rajasthan in the late 1990s. The blackbuck is considered sacred by the Bishnoi community.
Salman Khan was initially convicted by a court under the Wildlife Protection Act before being acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court.
Hours before the arrests, a photograph of two of the suspected shooters had surfaced. The image, reportedly taken near the scene of the incident, showed both men wearing white shirts, with one sporting a black cap bearing the Puma logo. Their identities were unknown at the time.
MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT VOWS STRICT ACTION
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier described the attackers as “cowardly individuals”, adding, “They attempt to strike from the shadows, but their efforts will be thwarted.”
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Shroff at his residence shortly after the attack. He revealed that the actor had suffered gunpowder burns on his right hand.
Shinde described the incident as serious and vowed strict action against those responsible, warning that no gang or individual would be allowed to revive gang wars in Mumbai.
As the investigation progresses, police are examining the recovered ammunition, the suspected weapons and the CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events and the role of each accused. The possibility of a weapon malfunction remains a preliminary line of investigation.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
