The accused arrested in the firing case involving actor Tiger Shroff had allegedly planned to conduct a recce of actor Emraan Hashmi’s residence in Bandra but failed to locate his house, reliable sources told the Free Press Journal (FPJ). According to sources, Kunal, a friend of accused Radha, had instructed her to bring weapons to Mumbai and return them after the operation. Radha and Babita arrived in Mumbai on October 15 and stayed at the Royal Rest House in Dadar East, where alleged shooter Rehan collected the weapons from Radha. The two women boarded the Dadar-Haridwar Express to Delhi on October 18. Investigators suspect that accused Ankit and Sameer were involved in conducting recce, while Kunal, Sumit and Jatin allegedly played a role in procuring weapons. Kunal had allegedly arranged the firearms from Amritsar in Punjab. Technical analysis of the women’s mobile phones revealed that they had visited several locations in Mumbai. Police are investigating the purpose of these visits and whether they conducted recce of other prominent personalities and shared information with the main accused.
The probe has also revealed that Radha and Babita allegedly used fake Aadhaar cards, fictitious names and forged signatures to book hotel rooms. Police have seized the hotel register and CCTV footage and will collect their handwriting samples to establish how the forged documents were obtained and used. Examination of the accused’s mobile phones has revealed WhatsApp chats and audio clips allegedly linked to the conspiracy. Police plan to collect voice samples of Radha and Kunal for comparison with the recovered recordings. Investigators suspect that Kunal had instructed Radha and Babita to retrieve the firearms after the operation and hand them over to Kunal and Sumit. Police are probing who was supposed to receive the weapons next and whether they were intended for further criminal activities. Mobile phone extraction has also revealed information suggesting the involvement of accused numbers one to eleven in the case. Police are questioning the accused in custody to establish their individual roles and gather further evidence.
Except for Ritik, Ankit and Sameer, the other accused allegedly had direct contact with absconding mastermind Anil Pandit, according to the investigation. Kunal had allegedly opened fire at a trader in Panipat on Pandit’s instructions in an earlier incident. Police are investigating whether the gang had planned attacks on other prominent personalities. Investigators are also tracing the source of funding for the operation, the possible involvement of other facilitators and the alleged use of QR codes to make payments in Mumbai. Police are examining who received the payments and whether any funds originated from abroad. Since the accused are originally from Haryana, investigators suspect that local assistance may have been necessary to execute the operation in Mumbai. The Crime Branch is working to identify those who allegedly provided logistical and financial support. FPJ contacted DCP PRO Raj Tilak Roshan for confirmation regarding the alleged recce of Emraan Hashmi’s residence, but he did not respond.
