Investigations into the January 31 firing at director Rohit Shetty’s Juhu home have spotlighted a Pune-Mumbai underworld pipeline supplying arms for the hit. Crime Branch revelations depict a premeditated ambush executed with chilling precision.
In the dead of night, around 12:45 AM, a scooter-borne shooter in distinctive black jacket-white pants attire stormed Shetty Tower. Five pistol rounds rang out, captured starkly on CCTV, as the perpetrator bolted. Shetty, indoors, was unscathed; responders collected shells and glass shards amid the chaos.
The trail led to a Pune-sourced scooter ditched in Vile Parle. Five arrests—all from Pune—netted weapons, ammo clips, an air gun, and mobiles bearing traces of Signal app usage for plotting, with post-op deletions. Mastermind Shubham Lonkar, at large, greenlit the scooter’s transport, gun provision, and shooter payout.
A smoking gun emerged from Swapnil Sakat’s premises, furnished by Asaram Fasle per Lonkar’s behest, resulting in Fasle’s capture on February 5. Manhunts intensify for Lonkar and the triggerman. Transferred from Juhu to Anti-Extortion Cell, the inquiry probes extortion or vendetta roots.
This unfolding saga grips Mumbai, exposing fragile defenses around celebrities. Law enforcers, armed with digital footprints and witness leads, forecast imminent breakthroughs, aiming to shatter the syndicate preying on Tinseltown.