Salman Khan Was Shooters' Target, Not Tiger Shroff. They Had Recced His House

Mumbai: Shots were fired at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff's car on Sunday evening, but he wasn't the original target. An investigation into an assassination bid targeting Tiger Shroff has revealed that Salman Khan was the target. According to sources, the shooters conducted a recce of Salman Khan's house. However, seeing the heavy security outside the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor's home, the attackers had to step back.Shroff was leaving the Pushpa Narsee Ground in Mumbai's Juhu after a game of football when two men opened fire on him. A third person, their accomplice, waited metres away on his motorcycle. After firing seven rounds targeting Shroff, the three men fled on a bike, which they abandoned near Andheri West railway station before boarding a train to Jaipur.The three men, identified as Hritik alias Roshan (22), from Begusarai in Bihar, Rehan (18), from Sonipat in Haryana, and Phool Singh (18), also from Haryana, were arrested within 24 hours on Monday. During interrogation, the three accused revealed that they arrived in Mumbai aiming to assassinate another high-profile individual, sources said.The high-profile individual was Salman Khan. Before the attack, the shooters conducted a recce of Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartments home. The heavy police deployment outside his house foiled the plan.Focus Shifted To Celebrities With 'Less Security'According to sources, after the plan to target Salman Khan failed, the attackers were ordered to target celebrities with less security. Posing as ordinary citizens on a Mumbai sightseeing tour, the shooters travelled across the city in an auto-rickshaw and on a bike belonging to one of the accused, Hrithik. They scouted the homes of several celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan."After checking out areas frequented by this individual (Salman Khan), the shooters realised that they would not be able to get to the person. This was when they shifted their target to Tiger Shroff after learning - through reels posted by his fans - that the actor does not have police protection," said a source.An auto-rickshaw driver is said to have provided information about Shroff's weekly visits to the Pushpa Narsee Ground in Juhu for football. The shooters monitored the Instagram accounts of Shroff and his fans, tracking his movements. The intent, according to a source, was to spread terror within Bollywood.Timeline Of AttackThe attackers arrived in Mumbai about 20 days before the assassination bid. Following the tip-off from an auto-rickshaw driver, the shooters arrived at the Juhu ground on October 11, but Tiger did not show up that day. According to a police source, the October 11 visit was likely for a recce since the accused got the weapons nearly a week later on October 17.Subsequently, the attack was carried out on Sunday evening, around 7 pm.READ | Tiger Shroff's Fan Was Shooting Vlog When Shots Were Fired, A Bullet Hit HimBoth foreign-made and indigenous pistols were used in the incident. The shooters, however, lacked detailed knowledge of the specific model or technical specifications of the foreign-made weapon.While fleeing Mumbai after opening fire on Shroff, the shooters discarded both weapons at an undisclosed location. The Mumbai Police are now making efforts to recover them.Salman Khan's Security TightenedFollowing the attack, Salman Khan's security has been further heightened. Special commandos have been deployed for Khan's protection along with Mumbai Police.The security personnel deployed for Salman Khan have been equipped with state-of-the-art submachine guns, specifically the MP5 SD6 manufactured by German arms company Heckler & Koch. It is specifically designed to fire 9x19 mm Parabellum caliber ammunition.A key feature of the MP5 SD6 is its integrated suppressor (silencer), which eliminates the loud noise and muzzle flash produced during firing, allowing for a counter-response without alerting the adversary. Depending on the requirement, the weapon can be used with either a 15-round or a 30-round magazine. Its small size makes it easy to carry in crowded areas or while providing VIP protection.Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Takes ResponsibilitySoon after the assassination bid, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi claimed responsibility for the attack on Shroff through his associate Anil Pandit. In an audio clip released on social media, a man can be heard speaking in Hindi and taking accountability for the attack."I am Anil Pandit. I am like a younger brother to Lawrence Bishnoi. What happened with Tiger Shroff today, we take responsibility for that -- Harman Sandhu and myself," the man is heard speaking in Hindi.He added that Tiger Shroff "was counselled, but did not understand us" and issued death threats to those linked to actor Salman Khan."In the entire film industry, whoever works without aligning with us, or works with Salman Khan, will be killed. This is the first and last warning."(With inputs from Ruttik Ganakwar)