New Delhi, Oct 19 Gangster Anil Pandit, who allegedly operates from the US, has emerged as a key suspect in the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, with police linking him to more than a dozen cases of extortion and targeted attacks in Haryana and Delhi.
Delhi Police has been probing his alleged involvement in different cases in Delhi, including the firing incident outside a gym of a famous Punjabi singer.
Pandit, a native of Haryana’s Panipat district, is suspected to be operating a network from the United States and coordinating with shooters in India, said a police source.
Three alleged shooters — two from Haryana and one from Bihar — were arrested by Kota police in connection with the firing at Shroff.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police is also collecting details of shooters active in Delhi-NCR and examining their possible links with the gang.
Around 10 teams have been deployed to investigate different aspects of the case, said the source.
Investigators are also examining a social media post in which Pandit allegedly claimed responsibility for the incident and issued a threat linked to the Bollywood industry.
Police are looking into his suspected connections with several firing and extortion cases reported in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
His name had earlier surfaced during investigations into firing outside a gym associated with singer Guru Randhawa in Delhi’s Paschim Vihar, the source said.
The criminal network allegedly uses messaging applications to communicate with shooters operating in different states, including Delhi. Investigators are trying to establish the roles of those involved, the source of weapons and the possible financial support provided to the shooters.
Police may also question suspected associates lodged in Tihar and Mandoli jails as part of the investigation.
Investigators are also checking whether the accused had planned any further attacks in Delhi.
A purported audio clip in which Pandit, 32, is heard claiming Tiger Shroff was attacked because he ignored warnings not to work with superstar Salman Khan was circulated widely across several media platforms.
Pandit can be heard demanding an apology from Salman Khan to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and community. The star was allegedly involved in the shooting of a blackbuck, sacred to the Bishnoi community, in 1998.
If there was no apology, others in the film fraternity close to the star would also be targeted, Pandit threatens.
(PTI News)
