Mumbai: Initial investigation by the city police into the firing at actor Tiger Shroff has indicated that actor Salman Khan was the real target of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang but they abandoned the plan because of the high security provided to him.They subsequently shifted their focus to Tiger Shroff as he is very low-profile and moves around without any security. Any attack on a Bollywood celebrity would have created fear, police sources said. The gang had issued threats to Shroff prior to the attack, sources said. Senior police officers declined to comment on the issue, saying they are yet to interrogate the three arrested accused who are being brought by road from Kota and were expected to reach early Wednesday. Police dismissed apprehensions about bringing the accused by road.Security agencies probing the assassination bid on Shroff are also investigating top-tier “LB Network” operative Randeep Malik even though gangster Anil Pandit has claimed responsibility for the attack, sources say. Pandit and shooter Rehan both reported to Malik till a few months ago with the former given an independent role only recently.Salman was targeted in the past too. The Bishnoi gang had fired at the actor’s bungalow in 2024, prompting the police to enhance his security. On April 14, 2024, shots were fired by two bike-borne men outside Khan’s Bandra residence, Galaxy Apartments. The gang has referred to the 1998 blackbuck case for targeting Khan. In Oct 1998, Khan was in Rajasthan to shoot for ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’ when, during the filming, two blackbucks were killed on the outskirts of Jodhpur. Blackbucks hold religious significance for the Bishnoi community.Sources associated with the investigation suggest that the accused monitored Shroff’s movements through social media posts, videos and reels shared by the actor and his fans. The accused had done a survey of this playground in Juhu for the last 10 days. The shooters had even laid out a plan on Oct 11 but the actor did not turn up.Pandit allegedly plotted the attack on Shroff 2.5 months ago, recruiting three men and transferring Rs 37,000 to one of them, Rehan Ansari (18), to execute the plan, and communicated over VoIP. Ansari (18) from Haryana’s Sonipat, Phool Singh (18) from Sonipat and Hrithik Roshan (22) from Mumbai’s Andheri (originally from Begusarai in Bihar) were arrested aboard Pune-Jaipur Express on Monday. The trio told Kota police that Pandit had promised them more money and a bright future abroad after they completed the assignment and crossed into Nepal.The FSL team has recovered the seven bullets that were fired, and they have been sent for a ballistic test. Police are yet to recover the two firearms used in the firing. Mumbai police identified Roshan after examining mobile network dump data from Juhu, where the firing occurred. One number detected by the local mobile tower belonged to Roshan, who allegedly fired five rounds at the actor’s car.The Mumbai police are examining whether the change in the target was part of a larger plan to spread fear in the film industry. The city crime branch has been asked to undertake a security review of the possible targets in Bollywood. They have been asked to make a category list of these personalities and submit a report. Police are reviewing the security arrangements of several other Bollywood personalities who are believed to be under threat. Actor Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Rohit Shetty, Aamir Khan and Ayush Sharma are among those who have received threats from the Lawrence gang.Meanwhile, police said Ansari and Singh are wanted in a case of attempt to murder in Amritsar last month. A police officer said, “The duo were hired to fire at a businessman from Amritsar who escaped unhurt.” Amritsar police will seek custody of Ansari and Singh after Mumbai Crime Branch completes its investigation into the firing.Ansari was allegedly recruited by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang through social media, police sources said. Police suspect the gang uses online platforms and local handlers to identify and recruit vulnerable youths, particularly teenagers from economically weaker and lower-middle-class families. Several recruits reportedly come from northern states. Ansari studied until Class 9 before reportedly dropping out because of financial difficulties. He was learning welding in Gurugram before allegedly entering organised crime. He was previously booked in a motorcycle theft case and an Arms Act case registered against him in Sonipat. He also spent time in jail, where he came into contact with hardened criminals. His mother, Shamshida, told the media that her son should be punished if found guilty, but those who allegedly lured him into crime should also be held accountable. She claimed Rehan left home about 20 days before the incident after a man promised him Rs 2 lakh and a job.
