Shooters practised before attack on Tiger Shroff:Trained in target shooting in Aarey forest for 3-4 days; security to be tightened on film sets

All three suspected shooters in the Tiger Shroff firing case are in police custody until 31 October. The Crime Branch’s investigation found that they had practised shooting in the Aarey forest before carrying out the crime. According to the police, Hrithik, Rehan Ansari and Phool Singh practised for two to two and a half hours every day for three to four days. They then opened fire at Tiger Shroff on Sunday evening. So far, 10 accused, including the three suspected shooters, have been arrested in the case. During questioning, the three accused said they had practised firing in the dense forest of Mumbai’s Aarey Colony. Except for Rehan, Phool Singh and Hrithik had no experience of firing a pistol. The police are examining CCTV footage from the six routes leading into the Aarey Colony forest. During the practice sessions, the three initially fired air guns. Later, one of them fired two rounds from a real pistol and another fired one round. The actual weapon used in the firing was given to them at a hotel on 17 October. That evening, the three reached an isolated spot in the Aarey Colony forest and practised firing. Weapons brought from Amritsar to Mumbai The investigation has revealed that the weapons were brought from Amritsar using the ‘dead letter box’ method. They were transported to Mumbai by train through the arrested accused, Radha and Babita. Jatin carried out the task at the direction of Anil Pandit of the Lawrence gang. Jatin had also travelled to Amritsar with Sameer and Ankit. Security advisory issued for safety on film sets Following the firing case involving Tiger Shroff in Mumbai, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has appealed to producers and production houses to strengthen security arrangements on shooting sets. FWICE has asked production houses to exercise caution when hiring people whose identities and professional records have not been verified. The federation has also advised them to maintain proper records of crew members and conduct separate background checks when necessary. According to the federation, associations affiliated with the industry maintain records of their members. Documents and information about their professional qualifications can be obtained through these associations. However, membership of an association is not a substitute for a complete background check. Production houses will have to conduct separate checks when necessary. FWICE has also said that the police and security agencies should be informed immediately if any suspicious activity or potential threat comes to light during filming. Safety of technicians and workers, along with actors, also emphasised FWICE said that safety on film sets should not be limited to actors or well-known personalities. The safety of directors, producers, technicians, artistes and other workers is equally important. The federation has appealed to producers, filmmakers and various industry associations to work together. It has called for caution at every level, from recruiting people to entry at shooting locations and security arrangements. Tiger Shroff came under fire in Juhu on 18 October Tiger Shroff’s car came under fire outside a football ground in Mumbai’s Juhu area on 18 October as he was leaving. Two attackers fired five to seven rounds. Tiger was injured, while his driver was shot. After the driver was injured, Tiger Shroff moved to the driving seat and went straight to hospital. All the accused were arrested within 24 hours of the attack. The Lawrence gang claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigations have revealed that the attackers had also conducted reconnaissance of Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. Following the incident, concerns have grown over the security of people associated with the film industry. Earlier, in February, there were reports of firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s home in Juhu. In April 2024, gunfire was reported outside Salman Khan’s home in Bandra. Salman Khan had also received threats several times before.