Investigation Reveals Flawed Escape Plot

New details have emerged in the ongoing investigation into the October 18 shooting targeting Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. According to law enforcement sources, the primary suspects in the attack had originally plotted an elaborate escape route to flee across the border into Nepal via Delhi, but their plans were derailed when they missed a scheduled bus connection in Gujarat.

The three main suspects—identified as Hritik Kumar alias Roshan (22) from Bihar, alongside Rehan (18) and Phool Singh (18) from Haryana—initially intended to travel by bus from Surat to Delhi. However, the plan fell apart when the trio arrived at the Surat bus stand moments after their transport had already departed.

Following the missed connection, the alleged mastermind behind the operation, Anil Pandit of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, activated a contingency strategy. Pandit, who has previously claimed responsibility for the targeted attack, issued fresh directives to the shooters through Voice over IP (VoIP) communications routed via another arrested co-conspirator, Ankit Khatak.

Abandoned Weapons and Transit Arrests

Acting on the revised instructions, the suspects took an auto-rickshaw to the Surat railway station, boarding the Pune-Jaipur Express at approximately 1:33 AM. Before boarding, the men allegedly concealed the two firearms and ammunition used in the shooting in an open area near the Surat bus stand, attempting to evade potential police checks during the train journey.

Under the revised escape blueprint, the suspects were instructed to disembark the train before it reached the main Jaipur terminal, intending to secure road transport toward Delhi and subsequently cross into Nepal.

Despite these maneuvers, the Mumbai Crime Branch successfully tracked the movements of the accused by analyzing comprehensive CCTV footage gathered from both the Surat bus terminal and the railway station. The operation culminated on October 19, just a day after the incident, when law enforcement agencies apprehended all three suspects in Kota, Rajasthan.

Background of the Attack

The shooting incident occurred at approximately 7:00 PM on October 18 as 36-year-old Tiger Shroff, son of veteran actor Jackie Shroff, was returning from a football match. While seated in the front passenger seat of his BMW, gunfire struck the vehicle. Although the actor escaped physical injury, his driver and a bystander sustained injuries during the assault.

Surveillance footage from the scene captured two assailants discharging at least five to six rounds at the vehicle. Following the attack, Shroff stepped out of the car and drove himself to transport his injured driver to a medical facility. The two primary shooters, identified as Phool and Rehan, subsequently rendezvoused with the third suspect, Hritik, on a motorcycle before abandoning the two-wheeler in the Andheri area.

To date, authorities have arrested a total of eleven individuals in connection with the high-profile case as investigations continue into the wider network operating behind the syndicate.