'Salman Only Tiger In Industry': A Praise That Led To Attack On Tiger Shroff

Mumbai: The Lawrence Bishnoi gang targeted actor Tiger Shroff because he had once praised Salman Khan, one of the accused has told the investigators who are probing the assassination attempt on the actor. He was attacked while leaving a Juhu playground after playing football on Sunday, when two shooters fired seven rounds on his BMW and then ran away on a bike with another accomplice.The actor's driver and one bystander were injured in the incident and a Lawrence Bishnoi gang member later claimed the responsibility for the attack. The accused were arrested from Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express at Kota Railway Station the next day. Now, in a fresh development, one of the them has revealed the real reason why the gang made Tiger Shroff their target. The close proximity between him and Salman Khan has already made headlines as the core cause, but the accused explained the instance which allegedly sparked the plan.The accused told officials that in 2022, Tiger Shroff had praised the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor during a movie promotion event, saying that Salman was the only tiger in the film industry. This may have been one of the big reasons for the gangster to target Tiger Shroff as previously too the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has issued threats and acted against people considered close to Salman Khan.Their enmity goes back to the 1999 when Salman Khan was allegedly accused of killing a blackbuck (Kala Hiran) during the shooting of the film Hum Saath-Saath Hain. The animal is considered sacred in the Lawrence Bishnoi community and Lawrence has since then asked the actor to apologise or face consequences.Accused Followed Probe Updates On Social MediaThe preliminary investigation so far suggests that the accused may have followed the police investigation updates on social media. Police suspect the accused were receiving updates on the developments, and CCTV footage has also revealed that accused Rehan was constantly on his phone.Police suspect that investigation-related information was being passed on to the accused through internet calls. The shooters were allegedly informed through messages that the bike they had taken to run away had been found in Andheri and that they were travelling by train.The accused had used bikes, trains and cabs to evade police. Despite this, acting on information provided by Mumbai Police, Kota Police apprehended the accused aboard a train travelling from Surat to Jaipur.Internet calling posed a challenge for the police in tracking the accused. Now Mumbai Police are also trying to find who was supplying the accused with information about the investigation.How Cops Cracked Shooters' Escape RouteAccording to sources, after firing shots at Tiger Shroff, the son of actor Jackie Shroff, the accused switched off their mobile phones and internet connections to evade the police. Throughout the conspiracy, the shooters and their handlers used internet-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to communicate.The accused shooters made only one regular phone call, which became a major clue for the police. The investigation revealed that the accused had booked a private cab to travel from Mumbai's Borivali to Surat.Immediately after the firing, they took a local train from Andheri to Borivali and then travelled to Surat by cab. A call made to the cab driver came under the police scanner, helping investigators trace their route.READ | Gun Misfired In Their Hotel. But Tiger Shroff's Shooters Didn't Get CaughtBased on this call, a team from Mumbai Police's Anti-Extortion Cell travelled from Borivali to Surat. During questioning, the cab driver told the police that he had dropped the accused at Surat railway station.After examining CCTV footage from the railway station and reservation charts, investigators found that the accused had boarded a train heading towards Jaipur.The police team tracked the Kota-Jaipur route and eventually detained the three main shooters in Kota, Rajasthan. Police believe that tracing the accused's route to Surat would have been even more difficult had they not made that one regular phone call.Two women have also been arrested in connection with supply of weapons used in the attack. The Mumbai Crime Branch has successfully recovered weapons two firearms and ten live cartridges in connection with the case from Surat, Gujarat.Tiger Shroff Disturbed After Firing Incident, Yet to Record StatementTiger Shroff was reportedly deeply disturbed after his car came under fire on October 18. According to Mumbai Police sources, Shroff told the police that he was shocked by the incident and had no enmity with anyone.The actor reportedly said he did not know who the attackers were, why they opened fire or who orchestrated the attack. A Crime Branch official said Shroff's statement has not yet been recorded since he is disturbed by the incident.Police are expected to record his statement soon, the official added.