Tiger Shroff shooting: were Aamir, Salman & Ranveer targets too?
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Mumbai: The investigation into the shooting targeting actor Tiger Shroff has widened after police discovered that the three alleged shooters had visited residential buildings occupied by Bollywood stars Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ranveer Singh during their month-long stay in Mumbai. Investigators are examining whether the gang had specifically identified the actors as targets or whether the visits were part of reconnaissance, The Indian Express reported.
Police have increased security outside the residences of several celebrities, all of whom have faced threats in the past. Mumbai Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Raj Tilak Roushan said eight people had been arrested in connection with the case, while two others, Jatin and Sameer, were detained in Haryana. Their formal arrests would take the total number of accused in custody to 10.
The investigation has uncovered an alleged network involved in arranging and delivering firearms. Three accused, including two alleged shooters, were arrested in Kota, while four others were apprehended in Delhi. Ankit alias Rajesh Khatak, 18, was arrested in Haryana for allegedly assisting the shooters with reconnaissance and facilitating money transfers from suspected handler Anil Pandit. Police suspect approximately Rs 2 lakh was sent to the shooters.
Investigators allege that a firearm was collected in Amritsar through a method known as a dead drop, in which a weapon is left at a designated location for another person to retrieve without direct contact between the parties.
According to police, Kunal Sanjay, Sumit Suraha and Jatin were involved in collecting the weapon before it was allegedly transferred to Radha Verma and Babita Rao in Delhi. The two women are accused of subsequently delivering it to the shooters without disclosing their identities.
Sameer allegedly acted as an intermediary between shooter Rehan Ansari and Pandit, helping bring Rehan into the alleged shooting plot. Police are continuing to question the accused to establish the conspiracy's full scope and determine whether other celebrities were intended targets.