New Delhi: Mumbai’s film world is under siege again. Gunshots rang out at Bollywood director Rohit Shetty’s lavish Juhu home on February 1, sparking fear and a massive police crackdown.
Now, cops have seized the gun used in the attack. Who is behind this bold strike, and what links it to bigger crime gangs?
Police recover firing weapon
Mumbai Police have recovered the weapon used in the firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence in Juhu. The crime branch found the gun from the shooter, Deepak Sharma, and sent it to a forensic lab for ballistic tests to confirm its role in the crime, an official told PTI. This breakthrough came after a multi-state operation that led to 12 arrests, including suspects from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Incident details emerge
The attack happened at 12:45 am on February 1, when at least four to five rounds targeted the first floor of Shetty’s nine-storey building. One bullet hit the glass of a gym inside, but no one was hurt. Police invoked the tough Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, suspecting an organised network aimed at harming the director and spreading fear. Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Shubham Lonkar claimed responsibility for the firing.
Key arrests and court drama
Among those nabbed are shooter Deepak Sharma, Aditya Gayaki (19), Siddharth Yenpure (20), Samarth Pomaji (18), Swapnil Sakat (23), and Asaram Fasale, who supplied the scooter and weapons. The five arrested in Pune went to the MCOCA court on Tuesday after their custody ended. Swapnil Sakat told the court, “The police coerced his statement and made him sign it.” Defence lawyer Ajinkya Mirgal questioned the police in court: “‘They (police) said in the court that the weapon recovered from accused number one, Sakat, was given to him by Praveen Lonkar, who is involved in the Baba Siddique murder case and has been in jail for one and a half years. We stated that he has been in jail for a year and a half. When and how did he get the weapon?”
Industry reacts strongly
The Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) condemned the incident and wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, asking for quick action. This echoes past attacks, like repeated firings outside Salman Khan’s home, also linked to the Bishnoi gang. Police continue probing to dismantle the crime web threatening Bollywood.