The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested 22-year-old Pranjal Thakral from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in connection with the firing attack on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. Thakral is the 11th accused to be arrested in the case. Investigators allege that he played a key role in the attack at the behest of Anil Pandit, a suspected Lawrence Bishnoi gang operative believed to be operating from the United States.
According to the investigation, Thakral was allegedly responsible for arranging the logistics and funds required for the operation. Police also suspect that he supplied a second pistol to one of the shooters involved in the incident.
Investigators are now examining digital and financial evidence to establish the extent of Thakral’s involvement and trace the wider network allegedly linked to Pandit.
Secret messaging app used to communicate with alleged mastermind
According to the police, Pandit and Thakral relied on a secret messaging application to communicate while attempting to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies.
Investigators have retrieved conversations from Thakral’s mobile phone. These chats, along with an examination of financial transactions, are expected to provide crucial leads about the alleged conspiracy and help the Crime Branch trace Pandit’s international network.
Pandit, who is suspected of orchestrating the attack, remains outside India, according to the information available in the case.
Thakral’s arrest could prove significant for investigators seeking to establish how the alleged operation was planned, financed and executed, as well as identify other individuals who may have assisted the accused.
Who is Pranjal Thakral?
Pranjal Thakral is a 22-year-old engineering diploma holder who had reportedly been released on bail in March this year. According to the police account, he had been jailed in connection with an attack on a businessman in Panipat, Haryana, allegedly carried out on Pandit’s instructions.
Investigators suspect that Thakral began working with Pandit on the plan targeting Tiger Shroff soon after his release.
His alleged involvement in the two cases has placed him under the Crime Branch’s scanner as investigators attempt to establish the links between the accused and the wider criminal network.
Thakral was produced before the holiday bench of the Killa Court on Sunday and remanded to police custody until October 31. Investigators are expected to question him about the planning of the attack, the movement of weapons and the financial arrangements allegedly made for the shooters.
How the firing attack on Tiger Shroff unfolded
The incident took place on the evening of October 18, when at least two men allegedly opened fire at the car of the 36-year-old actor as he was leaving Pushpa Narsee Park, also known as Pushpa Narsee Ground, in Mumbai’s Juhu area after playing football.
According to the Mumbai Police, the assailants fled on a motorcycle, which they later abandoned in Andheri. They subsequently travelled to Surat and boarded the Pune–Jaipur Express.
Three alleged shooters were eventually arrested in Kota, Rajasthan, while reportedly attempting to escape towards Nepal via Delhi.
The arrests were part of a wider investigation into the shooting, which drew attention because of the alleged involvement of individuals linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Lawrence Bishnoi gang link under investigation
Anil Pandit, described by investigators as a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to reports. Police are examining his alleged role as the person who planned and coordinated the operation.
Police sources have also indicated that the gang initially considered targeting another high-profile personality but changed its plans because of the security arrangements surrounding that individual.
Investigators are now trying to establish the motive behind the attack on Shroff and determine whether the shooting was part of a broader targeting strategy.
With Thakral in custody, the Crime Branch will be looking to piece together the alleged chain of command, the financing of the operation and the supply of weapons. His phone records, conversations with Pandit and financial transactions could prove important in determining how the attack was organised and identifying any remaining links in the network.
The investigation is continuing, and the allegations against the accused remain subject to the legal process.
