MUMBAI: A special MCOCA court on Thursday remanded all 11 accused in the Tiger Shroff firing case to police custody till November 6.
The accused, including two women, were produced before special judge Satyanarayan Ramjivan Navandar, with the city crime branch seeking 10 days’ custody for further investigation.
The crime branch has invoked MCOCA against all 11 accused in the case, which pertains to the firing at actor Tiger Shroff’s vehicle in Mumbai’s Juhu area on October 18.
Police have alleged that the attack was part of a larger organised crime conspiracy.
Why MCOCA was invoked
The special court had granted permission to arrest the 11 accused under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Wednesday, after the crime branch invoked the stringent law, citing the accused’s alleged criminal backgrounds, financial motives and a fight for supremacy.
According to police, six of the accused have criminal antecedents, while alleged gang operative Anil Pandit, who is wanted in the case, has three chargesheets filed against him in serious criminal cases in Haryana and Punjab.
Pandit is suspected to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Police have alleged that Pandit claimed responsibility for the firing through a social media post and an audio message circulated after the incident.
Investigators are examining the communications as part of the probe.
Shooters allegedly made multiple attempts
According to police sources, the three alleged shooters told investigators that the October 18 attack was their third attempt to target Shroff.
They allegedly received instructions from Pandit to identify potential targets and had conducted reconnaissance of several Bollywood actors before focusing on Shroff.
The firing took place in Juhu when Shroff was leaving a football ground.
The actor escaped serious injury, while his driver and a bystander sustained bullet injuries.
Investigators are probing the alleged roles of the accused in the conspiracy, including the procurement and transportation of weapons, the financing of the operation and the links between those who allegedly carried out the attack and those suspected of coordinating it.
