Samir Kochhar recalls Tiger Shroff at daughter's birthday minutes before attack

Actor Samir Kochhar was celebrating his daughter Sara’s ninth birthday at a football ground in Mumbai’s Juhu when gunshots rang out, turning what was meant to be a fun-filled Sunday into a frightening ordeal. Tiger Shroff, who had been playing football on the adjoining half of the ground, was targeted in the shooting. While the actor was unharmed, his driver sustained injuries during the attack.Recounting the incident to India Today, Samir said the birthday party was nearing its end when Tiger left the venue. The actor, who regularly plays football with Tiger and the All-Stars group, said the gunshots initially sounded like firecrackers, given that it was the festive season. It was only when people at the gate began screaming that they realised something serious had happened."Tiger and the gang all walked in earlier. They met all the kids, met my daughter, before heading for the game. And as the party was almost finishing, Tiger walked back, met a few more kids, they took a few more pictures of them. And then I said, ‘You want to eat something?’ And of course, being on a strict diet as always, he said no, and sat in his car, and headed out in front of me," he recalled.Samir said Tiger’s car had travelled only a short distance when they heard loud sounds. With firecrackers being common during the festive season, the group initially did not suspect that gunshots had been fired. "Then, just about 30 seconds later, the people at the gate who witnessed the whole scenario started screaming, saying that Tiger has been shot. And there have been bullets that have been fired. We went running to the gate to see what had happened. Tiger had just sped off at that point, but we were shocked to realise what had happened," he added.The sudden commotion left the children at the birthday party frightened and confused. With some parents yet to arrive, Samir said the adults had to take charge of the situation and ensure that the children were safe. Bunty Sajdeh left for the police station before joining Tiger, Samir said. Calling the shooting bizarre and unexpected, Samir said the Sunday football meet had been a regular fixture for the group for the past five to six years. He said no one had any idea that something like this could happen and expressed shock that there had apparently been no prior intelligence about the incident.The shooting has also raised questions about whether the group would feel safe returning to the ground for its regular Sunday matches. Samir said it was too early to discuss what would happen next, as everyone was still processing the incident and feeling relieved that Tiger was safe.“So, as of now, people are really thankful and grateful that nothing has happened to him. And I am very happy that, personally, from my end, the kids are all okay,” he said.Samir recalled that some people present at the ground had seen the shooters, but the incident unfolded so quickly that its gravity was not immediately apparent to everyone. The group understood what had happened only after people began screaming at the gate and they saw the damage.Asked whether he had managed to speak to Tiger after the incident, Samir said he had been keeping in touch through Bunty Walia and had heard that the actor was doing okay.The shooting has also raised fresh concerns about the safety of members of the film industry, particularly in Mumbai, where celebrities have faced threats and attacks in recent years. For Samir, the fact that the incident took place in a busy neighbourhood like Juhu, in broad daylight, was particularly disturbing.Asked how he viewed the incident as a celebrity and a citizen of Mumbai, and what needed to change, Samir said, “See, I think the authorities best know what to do. But obviously, something is amiss somewhere. Because it’s not being done to the right measures. I mean, if this can happen in an area like Juhu, completely in the open. And two guys carrying some random kind of guns as well. I mean, this should not be allowed. So, I guess, you know, they must make their measures stricter. The police and the information have to be gathered about where these guys are coming and what they’re doing. Because ultimately, if it’s like this, there’ll be so much of fear in people. People won’t be able to move around."What happened on October 18?Three men riding a motorcycle fired at actor Shroff’s vehicle in Mumbai’s Juhu area on October 18. The actor escaped unharmed, while his driver and a passer-by were injured in the firing incident.Police are probing the accused’s alleged links with one another and gangster Anil Pandit, along with how the weapon was brought to Mumbai. Investigators are also looking into the alleged use of encrypted communication to plan the attack and the suspects’ attempts to flee after the shooting.Meanwhile, the investigation into the firing incident is ongoing. Mumbai Police have arrested seven more people from Haryana in connection with the case, bringing the total number of arrests to 10. The police said the accused include two women.Mumbai Police have widened their investigation into alleged firearm supply network linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.- Ends