MUMBAI: The accused arrested for firing at Jai Hemant “Tiger” Shroff on Sunday monitored his movement through social media posts, videos and reels shared by the actor and his fans, sources associated with the investigation suggest.The accused had done a survey of this playground in Juhu for the past 10 days. The shooters had even laid out a plan on Oct 11 but the actor did not turn up.Gangster Anil Pandit, who has claimed responsibility for the attack, allegedly plotted the attack 2.5 months ago, recruiting three men and transferring Rs 37,000 to one of them, Rehan Ansari (18), to execute the plan, and communicated over VoIP.Ansari (18) and Phool Singh (18) from Haryana’s Sonipat and Hrithik Roshan (22) from Mumbai’s Andheri (originally from Begusarai in Bihar) were arrested aboard the Pune-Jaipur Express on Monday. The trio told Kota police that Pandit had promised them more money and a bright future abroad after they completed the assignment and crossed into Nepal.The FSL team has recovered the seven bullets that were fired and have been sent for a ballistic test. Police are yet to recover the two firearms used in the firing. Mumbai police identified Roshan after examining mobile network dump data from Juhu, where the firing occurred. Roshan allegedly fired five rounds.Mumbai police are examining whether the change in the target was part of a larger plan to spread fear in the film industry. City crime branch has been asked to undertake a security review of the possible targets in Bollywood. They have been asked to make a category list of these personalities and submit a report. Police are reviewing the security arrangements of several other Bollywood personalities believed to be under threat. Actors Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Rohit Shetty, Aamir Khan and Ayush Sharma are among those who have got threats.Meanwhile, police said Ansari and Singh are wanted in a case of attempt to murder in Amritsar last month. A police officer said, “The duo was hired to fire at a businessman from Amritsar who escaped unhurt.” Amritsar police will seek custody of Ansari and Singh after Mumbai crime branch completes its probe.Ansari was allegedly recruited by the Lawrence gang through social media, police sources said. Police suspect the gang uses online platforms and local handlers to identify and recruit vulnerable youths, particularly teenagers from economically weaker families.Ansari studied until Class 9 before reportedly dropping out due to financial difficulties. He was learning welding in Gurugram before allegedly entering organised crime.He was named in FIRs in a motorcycle theft case and an Arms Act case in Sonipat. He also spent time in jail, where he came into contact with hardened criminals.His mother, Shamshida, told the media her son should be punished if found guilty, but those who allegedly lured him into crime should also be held accountable. She claimed Rehan left home about 20 days before the incident after a man promised him Rs 2 lakh and a job.
