Rohit Shetty Firing Case: Seven Arrested Including Shooter in Multi-State Operation

Mumbai Police have arrested seven suspects, including the shooter, in connection with the firing at filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence. The operation involved multiple states and aimed to uncover the conspiracy behind the attack.

The Mumbai Police have made significant progress in the case involving gunshots fired at filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence. They arrested the suspected shooter, Deepak Rameshchandra Sharma, and six others from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. This operation was conducted with assistance from the special task forces of the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana Police. The arrests were made on Sunday, following a multi-state operation.

Shubham Lonkar, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, is believed to have orchestrated the attack to intimidate and assert dominance. The accused were allegedly acting under Lonkar's instructions, who had previously claimed responsibility for the shooting in a social media post. Despite these arrests, Lonkar remains at large and is also wanted in other high-profile cases.

Police Investigation and Arrests

The Mumbai crime branch has been actively pursuing this case with over a dozen teams involved. Joint Commissioner Crime Lakhmi Gautam and Additional Commissioner Shailesh Balkawade have been overseeing the operation. The police have so far apprehended 12 individuals connected to the incident, but they are still searching for Lonkar and other suspects.

On February 1, at around 12:45 am, five shots were fired at Shetty's nine-storey building in Juhu. One bullet hit the glass of a gym inside. The accused had surveyed the area multiple times before executing their plan. Some of them consumed alcohol nearby before Sharma carried out the attack.

Details of the Accused

Besides Sharma, those arrested include Sunny Thakur, Sonu, Ritik Yadav, Jatin Bharadwaj, Vishal Thakur, and Vishnu Kushwah. These individuals are aged between 20 and 25 years. Kushwah is noted to be Sharma's cousin. The group knew each other but had no direct ties with previously arrested individuals from Pune.

The accused used an autorickshaw to flee from Juhu to Kalyan after the shooting. They then gathered at another suspect's house in Kalyan before escaping to northern states by train. Ritik Yadav provided a hideout in Haryana for them.

Conspiracy and Further Investigations

The police remand note reveals that Lonkar financed and supplied arms for the shooting. The accused communicated through a social media platform, which they deleted post-incident. Investigators suspect that Lonkar's gang might be planning more crimes, necessitating further custodial interrogation.

Lonkars brother Pravin is currently imprisoned for another firing case but is suspected of involvement in this conspiracy as well. He may soon be taken into custody due to evidence suggesting his role in supplying weapons and influencing the accused.

Legal Proceedings

A Mumbai court has remanded the accused to police custody until February 25 for further interrogation. The police aim to uncover more details about the conspiracy and locate other wanted individuals, including Lonkar. They have yet to recover the firearms used in the attack.

The accused face charges under various legal provisions, including MCOCA, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Arms Act. Earlier arrests included Aditya Gayaki, Siddharth Yenpure, Samarth Pomaji, Swapnil Sakat, and Asaram Fasale for providing logistical support to Sharma.

With inputs from PTI