Tiger Shroff Was Not the Original Target, Mumbai Police Say

Tiger Shroff was not the original target of the 18 October shooting outside his Juhu football ground, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch has said, telling IANS that the shooters changed their plan at the last minute.

The accused had first planned to target another prominent Bollywood celebrity but could not reach them because of tight security, police told IANS. They later chose Shroff after learning through fan Instagram reels that the actor had no police security, and monitored his movements through videos and posts on his and his fans’ accounts before carrying out reconnaissance. Initial questioning revealed the plan was to kill the actor to spread fear in Bollywood, and police say they are still verifying these revelations.

The Crime Branch also revealed the shooters had surveyed the homes of Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, asking auto-rickshaw drivers to show them celebrity homes under the pretext of taking photographs. A driver told them Shroff visited a Juhu football ground on Sundays; the accused visited the ground on 11 October, found him absent, and returned armed on 18 October, when shots were fired at the actor’s car.

Meanwhile, the three accused, arrested in Kota, Rajasthan, were brought to Mumbai and taken to the Anti-Extortion Cell office on Wednesday after a medical examination, ABP News reported. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, and the motive remains under investigation.

Sources: Times Now/IANS; Lokmat Times/IANS; ABP News/ANI.