MUMBAI: The three main accused in the firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff had planned to travel from Surat to Delhi by bus before entering Nepal, but their escape plan fell through after they arrived at the bus stand too late and missed their bus, police said.Following the setback, alleged mastermind Anil Pandit, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that has claimed responsibility for the attack, allegedly activated an alternative plan. He sent fresh instructions to the shooters through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls routed via Ankit Khatak, another accused who has been arrested.The three accused have been identified as Hritik Kumar alias Roshan, 22, from Bihar, and Rehan, 18, and Phool Singh, 18, from Haryana.Meanwhile, Mumbai police have arrested an engineering student from Indore in connection with the October 18 firing outside a location in Juhu. Pranjal Thakaran, 22, who is pursuing engineering in Sonipat, Haryana, is the 11th suspect arrested in the case. He is suspected of being part of the support network and allegedly having links with one of the shooters.Investigators said Thakaran’s name emerged during the questioning of arrested suspects and through technical evidence. A Mumbai police officer said his suspected links to the weapons supply chain were also being examined.Thakaran was arrested at a rehabilitation centre in Indore, where he had arrived five days earlier to meet his brother, who is undergoing treatment. Additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya said Mumbai Crime Branch contacted Indore police on Thursday night after receiving information about the suspect’s presence in the city. Technical surveillance and other inputs helped the joint team trace and arrest him.He was produced before an Indore magistrate, who granted him a three-day transit remand. He will be brought to Mumbai and produced before the Esplanade court for further remand proceedings.In a parallel development, police recovered a Turkish-made Zigana pistol, a country-made firearm and 10 live cartridges from Surat. Sources said the arrested shooters were taken to the city to identify the location where they had allegedly discarded the weapons. The search took around eight to 10 hours.The recovered firearms and ammunition will be sent to the forensic science laboratory in Kalina for ballistic analysis. Police sources said the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had used a Zigana pistol in previous cases.The firing took place on October 18 outside a location in Juhu, where five to six rounds were fired at Shroff’s car. The actor escaped unhurt, while his driver and a vlogger sustained injuries.Investigators are probing the alleged conspiracy, the movement and supply of weapons, the role of the arrested suspects and whether more people were involved in the attack.
