MUMBAI: “Sooner or later, number sabka aayega,” a message purportedly from Lawrence Bishnoi gang aide Anil Pandit warned after actor
Tiger Shroff’s car was fired at in Mumbai’s Juhu on Sunday evening.
The message claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened that those who continued to work with
Salman Khan would be targeted next.
A voice note and an X post attributed to Pandit named him and Harman Sandhu as being responsible for the firing near Pushpa Narsee Park.
The message claimed Shroff had been contacted and warned earlier but had ignored the warning. It also threatened members of the Mumbai film industry who did not listen to the group.
Lawrence Bishnoi gang member's alleged post
The authenticity of the message and its connection to the firing are yet to be independently established.
The threat comes two months after a social media post purportedly by Tyson Bishnoi and Aarzoo Bishnoi threatened actor Aamir Khan, accusing him of promoting “love jihad”.
The Facebook post alleged that Khan and others were acting against their culture. Khan had recently married Gauri Spratt.
Three injured in firing
Unidentified armed men fired multiple rounds at a vehicle carrying Shroff around 6.30pm on Sunday, police said.
The actor was reportedly inside the car.
Shroff and his driver, Firdosh, were taken to Nanavati Hospital in Vile Parle. Doctors said the actor had sustained a few abrasions but no bullet wounds.
His driver suffered a gunshot injury to his left hand and was likely to undergo surgery, with reports suggesting a bullet may have been lodged in the hand.
A third injured person, Yogesh Chavan, was taken to Cooper Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest.
A hospital note said the 35-year-old arrived at the casualty department around 7.10pm after being injured at Vile Parle West around 6.30pm while covering a football match featuring Shroff.
He had an entry wound about 2cm below his left nipple and was in stable condition. It was not immediately clear whether he was a fan of the actor.
Juhu police were investigating the scene, while a forensic team collected evidence. Mumbai Police have formed 15 teams to investigate the firing and identify those involved.
Juhu police will register a case of attempt to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS); sections of the Arms Act could also be invoked.
Earlier attacks raised security concerns
The firing has brought renewed attention to threats and attacks involving members of the film industry.
These include the fatal attack on politician Baba Siddiqui in Bandra and the firing outside Salman Khan’s Galaxy Apartment in Bandra Bandstand.
The message attributed to Pandit also threatened rival groups accused of using the Bishnoi gang’s name to gain publicity.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called the Mumbai police commissioner to inquire about the incident and directed him to conduct a swift investigation and take strict action against those responsible, sources in the chief minister’s office said.
(With agency inputs)
