Underworld shadows loom large over Mumbai’s glitz. In the wake of gunfire at director Rohit Shetty’s Juhu doorstep, Crime Branch unearths a reconnaissance marathon by Lawrence Bishnoi associates—scouting via the getaway scooter itself.
The shooter pumped five rounds into the night, then bolted on the two-wheeler to Vile Parle railway station, shedding it for a train escape.
Pune-sourced for Rs 30,000, the scooter—once Anand Marote’s from 2009—went to arrested Aditya Gaikwad 12 days pre-attack, courtesy of prime suspect Shubham Lonkar’s cash.
Samarth Pomaji marshaled Siddharth Yenpure and Swapnil Sakat to move it from Pune to Lonavala, pivoting to Mumbai delivery 10 days out. They equipped the mystery marksman, paid extra, knowing crime but not the victim.
Pomaji’s alliance with Lonkar via encrypted Signal chats drove the scheme: scooter sourcing with Gaikwad, full operational blueprint. Four in custody—Gaikwad, Yenpure, Pomaji, Sakat—with Lonkar dodging the net.
Bollywood’s underbelly exposed, this saga fuels debates on VIP vulnerabilities and police resolve. As threads unravel, Mumbai braces for the syndicate’s next move.