Tiger Shroff drives injured driver to hospital after shooting attack in Mumbai
Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff drove his injured driver to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai after unidentified assailants fired five shots at his BMW in the Juhu area on Sunday evening, October 18, police said. Shroff escaped gunfire but sustained minor injuries from gunpowder and broken glass, while his driver and another man were shot.
Mumbai Police have registered a case against three unidentified people and formed 15 teams to track down the attackers. Investigators have also seized a motorcycle suspected of being used in their escape and are examining a social media post claiming responsibility in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police have not confirmed any link between the gang and the attack.
According to The Indian Express, Shroff was returning after playing football when the incident occurred. He was sitting in his car and waving to fans gathered nearby when the attackers approached and opened fire. His driver, Ferdous, was shot in the left hand, while another man, Umesh Chavan, was also injured. Both are reported to be out of danger.
NDTV reported that two attackers fired at the vehicle while a third accomplice waited on a motorcycle. One of the attackers reportedly experienced a weapon malfunction during the shooting. The assailants then fled on the motorcycle.
A video recorded after the attack showed Shroff taking the driver's seat and driving the BMW to Nanavati Hospital with Ferdous inside. According to The Times of India, a woman could be heard urging him to leave quickly. Bloodstains were reportedly visible on the road after the vehicle departed.
The motorcycle was reportedly abandoned near Andheri railway station and later seized by police. Investigators are examining its registration plate and chassis number to establish ownership, while CCTV footage is being reviewed to trace the suspects' movements.
Mumbai Police and the Crime Branch are investigating the case. Ferdous's statement has also been recorded. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act, including those relating to attempted murder.
Following the shooting, a social media post circulated claiming responsibility on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and naming Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu. The post alleged that Shroff had previously been warned by phone and was targeted for ignoring the warning. It also threatened people associated with Salman Khan.
The Times of India reported that an audio message circulated in Anil Pandit's name called on Salman Khan to apologise to Lawrence Bishnoi and the Bishnoi community. The authenticity of both the post and the audio message remains unverified.
The hostility between Bishnoi and Salman Khan is linked to the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. Khan was accused of killing two blackbucks in Rajasthan while shooting the film Hum Saath-Saath Hain. The Bishnoi community considers the animal sacred, and Bishnoi has repeatedly spoken of seeking revenge against the actor. In 2018, he publicly threatened to kill Khan.
On April 14, 2024, two men on a motorcycle fired shots outside Khan's Galaxy Apartments residence in Mumbai's Bandra area. They were later arrested, and police linked the attack to the Bishnoi gang. In October that year, politician Baba Siddique, a close associate of Khan, was shot dead in Mumbai. A person identifying himself as a member of the Bishnoi gang subsequently claimed responsibility for the killing.
Although the gang's name has resurfaced following the attack on Shroff's car, investigators have yet to establish a connection.
Shroff's father, actor Jackie Shroff, told India Today through his team that his son was doing well. His mother, Ayesha Shroff, also expressed relief when asked about his condition.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Shroff over the phone and directed police to identify the attackers quickly and take strict action. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Shroff's home on Sunday night and met the actor and his family.
Photographs from the meeting showed bandages on Shroff's hand and dressings on parts of his body. Shinde told reporters that the actor had not been hit by bullets but had sustained minor injuries from gunpowder and fragments of broken glass. He added that Shroff and his mother had been left distressed by the incident.
Assuring the family of the state government's support, Shinde said the government would not allow anyone to establish dominance in Mumbai through threats or violence.