Probe into the attack on Tiger Shroff deepened. The alleged assassination attempt has taken an unexpected turn, where sources reveal that the actor was not the original target of the shooters.
Hrithik alias Roshan from Bihar, Rehan and Phool Singh, from Haryana, fired multiple rounds at Shroff’s car on Sunday evening while he was leaving after playing a football match in Mumbai’s Juhu. According to sources on Tuesday, during an interrogation of the three shooters it was learnt that the trio had arrived in Mumbai aiming to assassinate another high-profile individual.
After checking out areas frequented by the individual, the shooters realised that they would not be able to get to the person. This was when they shifted their target to Tiger Shroff after learning – through reels posted by his fans – that the actor does not have police protection,” said a source familiar in the know said.
Later, they began monitoring the Instagram accounts of both Shroff and his fans, which allowed them to track his movements.
The source added that the shooter’s intention was to spread terror within Bollywood by killing Shroff. The men ended up firing seven shots at Shroff’s car while it was leaving the ground, and intended to fire more, but a gun jammed. The actor and his driver were injured along with a vlogger present at the spot, but managed to drive away.
After the assassination attempts, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang took the responsibility and said Shroff had been targeted because he was asked to end his association with actor Salman Khan, but he did not comply.
“I am Anil Pandit. I am like a younger brother to Lawrence Bishnoi. What happened with Tiger Shroff today, we take responsibility for that,” a purported gang member said in an audio clip released after the attack, claiming that Shroff “was counselled, but did not understand us”– an audio clip revealed.
In the entire film industry, whoever works without aligning with us, or works with Salman Khan, will be killed. This is the first and last warning,” Pandit said.
The investigators learnt that the shooters had been paid Rs 50,000 in advance and were promised more money and jobs abroad after the attack was executed