Tiger Shroff Firing: Three Suspects Nabbed in Kota; Extortion Angle Not Ruled Out

Three persons suspected of involvement in the firing incident targeting actor Tiger Shroff have been apprehended in Kota while travelling by train. One of the three is reportedly from Haryana.

According to the police, the suspects had boarded a train bound for Jaipur on Sunday night. Soon after the incident, the Mumbai Police alerted their counterparts in Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. The three were apprehended in a joint operation by the Mumbai and Rajasthan Police. They will be questioned as part of the investigation.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the incident, but the police are yet to verify the authenticity of the claim. It is also not known whether the suspects are hired shooters or members of the gang. Some believe they could have been hired for the operation, but the police are investigating the matter from all angles.

Although Bishnoi hails from Punjab, the gang is believed to operate from abroad. The three suspects could be hired shooters with no direct links to the gang's leadership, though this remains to be established.

The possibility of extortion is also being examined. Recently, a Congress leader in Rajasthan was reportedly threatened by a person claiming to belong to the Bishnoi gang, who allegedly demanded money. The police may investigate whether the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff was also linked to an extortion attempt. Although the gang reportedly threatened to target people associated with Salman Khan, the extortion angle cannot be ruled out.

It may be recalled that Salman Khan was booked in a blackbuck poaching case in Rajasthan in October 1998, when he was filming for the Hindi movie Hum Saath-Saath Hain. A trial court convicted him in 2006, but the Rajasthan High Court acquitted him in 2016, citing insufficient evidence. In April 2018, a Jodhpur court convicted him again in the case and sentenced him to five years in prison. He spent two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail before being granted bail. His appeal against the 2018 conviction remains pending before the Rajasthan High Court.

The Bishnoi gang had previously threatened to kill Salman Khan to avenge the killing of blackbucks. Against this backdrop, the gang's reported claim of responsibility for the firing incident targeting Tiger Shroff, accompanied by a threat against people associated with Salman Khan, has drawn particular attention. However, the authenticity of the claim remains unverified.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday that the Mumbai Police would track down those involved in the firing incident and their handlers, asserting that such acts would not be tolerated.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, he said the accused were operating from outside Maharashtra, possibly from abroad. He added that the police would coordinate with other states and seek assistance from central agencies to track them down.

"We will also track down their handlers, who hide elsewhere and send instructions from there," the Chief Minister said.

Unidentified assailants opened fire at Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu area on Sunday evening. The actor escaped unhurt, while his driver and another person were injured.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the attack in a viral social media post, but the police are yet to verify its authenticity.

The Mumbai Police have registered an attempt-to-murder case against three unidentified persons in connection with the firing and transferred the investigation to the Crime Branch, officials said.

Describing the perpetrators as cowards, Fadnavis said the police took every threat seriously and would ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.

"These are cowards who attempt to strike from hiding. Their attempts will be foiled, and they will not be spared," he said.

The Chief Minister also criticised the Opposition over its allegations concerning the government's handling of law and order. Referring to the Mansukh Hiran murder case, linked to the bomb scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence, Antilia, in Mumbai in 2021, and alleged irregularities in police transfers and postings under the previous government, he questioned the Opposition's criticism.

"Have they forgotten how their ministers had to go to jail? Even the country's biggest industrialist was not safe during their tenure, as a bomb was planted outside his house," he said.

Fadnavis added that the Mumbai Police was a professional force that enjoyed public confidence, including among members of the film industry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gowri V

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A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.

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