Investigators probing the shooting involving actor Tiger Shroff believe that actor Aamir Khan was allegedly the original target of the shooters linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and that the attackers switched to Shroff only after finding Khan difficult to reach.
According to a report in The Indian Express, citing police sources, the men sent to Mumbai by the gang spent weeks watching Khan's neighbourhood before giving up on him. What they found, and why they turned to Shroff, is now part of the interrogation record in a case that has shaken the Hindi film industry.
The alleged shooters reportedly conducted reconnaissance near Khan's residence in Mumbai but found him difficult to access because he frequently travelled for film shoots or stayed indoors for days at a time. Investigators believe the alleged attackers subsequently shifted their focus to Shroff, who was more accessible. The probe is examining the alleged links between the shooting and threats previously directed at Khan.
The firing took place on October 18 at a park in Mumbai's Juhu area, where Shroff regularly played football on Sundays. Two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at Shroff's car, but the actor escaped largely unharmed, though his driver and a bystander were injured. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the case, including the alleged links of the accused with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
According to police sources quoted in the report, the alleged shooters stayed in Mumbai for nearly a month and conducted reconnaissance near Khan's residence at least three times. The men had been told to target Khan, a police officer was quoted as saying, but while the shooters claimed not to know the motive, investigators suspect the plan was in line with threats issued to Khan in July, reportedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The details of the reconnaissance paint a picture of a carefully planned operation. Before deciding on Shroff as the target, the alleged shooters hired a cab for a day, paying the driver 3,000 rupees for a tour of actors' residences in Andheri and Bandra. They changed hotels three times in Andheri, before eventually moving to the R R Residency Hotel, where they stayed from October 14 to October 18.
The two actors live a few kilometres away from each other in Bandra, and police sources said that while conducting a recce of Khan's residence, the alleged shooters may also have seen Shroff leave his house frequently, and realised that he was an easier target. Shroff's regular gym visits and sports schedule allegedly made his movements more predictable, which facilitated the attackers' planning.
Khan, by contrast, was said to be a difficult target for a different reason. He has multiple residences and does not follow a fixed schedule, and his varying routines and security arrangements made it difficult for the shooters to plan an attack. A portal report said that though Khan was an easier target in some respects, he was mostly away for shoots and did not step out of the house for days when in the city.
The alleged shooters, identified in reports as a minor assailant and a man named Rehan, arrived in Mumbai in September and carried out their reconnaissance over several weeks. Investigators are also probing the role of alleged handlers who reportedly supplied information during the suspects' escape, and who may have directed the operation from outside Mumbai.
The case has drawn attention to the security concerns of Bollywood celebrities. Salman Khan has long been at the top of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang's hit list, according to reports, but his extensive security ring has protected him from attack. The emergence of Aamir Khan as an alleged target suggests that the gang's focus may be wider than previously thought, and that several prominent actors were surveyed.
According to one report, Aamir Khan and several other Bollywood celebrities were surveyed by the shooters, and the building on Carter Road in Bandra where Khan and Shroff reside was also surveyed. The shooters allegedly wanted to target a prominent Bollywood celebrity to create widespread panic, which may explain why the operation was planned over such a long period.
The investigation is continuing, and the police are questioning the accused to determine the motive behind the attack and establish the extent of the alleged conspiracy. Shroff has reportedly not yet recorded his statement with the Mumbai Crime Branch, and further details are expected to emerge as the interrogation progresses.
For the film industry, the case is a sobering reminder of the threats that some of its biggest names face. The Bishnoi gang has previously been linked to threats against actors, and the shooting outside Shroff's car on October 18 was the first time in recent years that such a threat appeared to have translated into an actual attack on a major star in Mumbai.
The fact that the alleged target changed from one superstar to another also raises questions about the security arrangements around film personalities. While the biggest stars have private security, their movements outside their homes, particularly for leisure activities such as sport, can be predictable, and it is this predictability that investigators believe the shooters exploited.
The police are also examining whether the threats received by Khan in July were directly connected to the October shooting, and whether the same handlers were involved in both episodes. Establishing that link would be important for the prosecution, as it would show a pattern of intent rather than an isolated act.
As the probe continues, the focus will remain on the interrogation of the accused and on the digital and physical evidence gathered during the month-long reconnaissance. Hotel records, cab bookings, phone records and CCTV footage from the areas around the actors' residences are all likely to play a role in building the case.
For now, the picture that has emerged is of a plot that began with one target, adapted when that target proved elusive, and ended with gunfire at a Sunday football game. It is a story that has left the film industry shaken and the police with a complex conspiracy to unravel.
(Reporting based on The Indian Express and The Tribune.)