Mumbai, Oct 2026 : The three suspects arrested in connection with the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai had allegedly arrived in the city nearly 20 days before the attack and conducted a recce of the football ground where the actor regularly played, police investigations have revealed.
The accused, including a minor, were arrested by Kota City Police at Kota railway station in Rajasthan while travelling aboard the Pune-Jaipur Express. They have been identified as Phulsing Naresh, a Class 12 pass-out from Sonipat in Haryana; Rehan Rashiddin, who studied up to Class 9 and is also from Sonipat; and Rithik, a Rapido driver who had been living in Mumbai.
According to investigators, Rithik was allegedly riding the motorcycle used during the crime, while Rehan and Phulsing are suspected of firing the shots. The three reportedly visited the same football ground on the preceding Sunday to conduct a recce while Tiger Shroff was playing there.
Investigators have also found that the suspects allegedly purchased a motorcycle on September 11 as part of their preparations for the attack. Police are examining the sequence of events leading up to the shooting and the roles allegedly played by each accused.
After the incident, the suspects reportedly followed a planned route to evade the police. They allegedly travelled by motorcycle to Andheri railway station and boarded a local train to Kandivali. From there, they booked a cab to Surat before boarding a train towards Kota.
Kota City Police intercepted them following intelligence inputs that the suspects were travelling on the Pune-Jaipur Express. Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam said a police team surrounded and searched the train, completing the operation in approximately 15 minutes.
Preliminary questioning reportedly indicated that the accused had initially planned to travel to Delhi before attempting to escape to Nepal. Police are now investigating their movements, contacts and possible assistance from others.
Investigators are also examining Rehan's alleged contact with Anil Pandit, who is reportedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, to determine whether the connection had any role in the attack. However, the nature and significance of the alleged contact remain under investigation.
Police have seized a mobile phone from the accused. Phulsing reportedly has a previous case registered against him involving motor vehicle theft, while Rehan faces a case under the Arms Act. The weapon allegedly used in the shooting has not yet been recovered.
A Mumbai Police team has reached Kota to take custody of the suspects and continue the investigation into the case.
The firing occurred at around 7 pm on Sunday in Mumbai's Juhu area, when shots were fired at a vehicle in which Tiger Shroff was travelling after returning from a football ground. The actor escaped a direct hit but reportedly sustained an injury from a fragment of shattered glass.
The vehicle's driver and another person were also injured in the incident.
Police are continuing to investigate the motive behind the attack, verify the alleged gang links and establish whether additional individuals were involved in planning or executing the shooting. The allegations against the arrested suspects remain subject to further investigation and the legal process.
