Four gang members of the Bishnoi gang were arrested by the police for firing at Bollywood director Rohit Shetty’s Juhu residence at 12.42 am on Sunday. The accused, aged between 19 and 27, were arrested by the Pune police following information from their Mumbai counterparts, who tracked them down with the help of their scooter and CCTV cameras.

Police said unknown men arrived in a vehicle and fired five rounds outside the bungalow. One bullet reportedly smashed through the gallery glass. Officers tightened security at Shetty’s residence and seized CCTV footage from the area. Investigators spotted a vehicle in the footage and tracked its movement towards Pune, after which Mumbai Police alerted Pune Police.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the firing outside Rohit Shetty’s Mumbai home, Shetty Tower. In a post, his men said the multiple gunshots were fired as a warning to the Singham director. This was not the first time the gang has targeted celebrities from the Hindi film industry. Past targets include superstar Salman Khan, AP Dhillon, Badshah, Kapil Sharma, and Munawar Faruqui.

A case was registered at Juhu police station, and the Crime Branch took over and formed 12 teams. Since Shetty did not report any earlier threat or complaint, officers said they were checking every angle. Acting on Mumbai Police inputs, Pune Police detained four men and handed them over to Mumbai Police, who brought them to the city on Sunday night and questioned them about their alleged role, the mastermind, and the motive. An officer said police will arrest them if the evidence matched. Those arrested were identified as Aditya Gyaneshwar Gayaki (19), Siddharth Deepak Yenpure (20), Samarth Shivsharan Pomaji (18), and Swapnil Bandu Sakat (23).

Meanwhile, a threatening message went viral from gang member Shubham Lonkar’s Facebook account, claiming the attack and warning Shetty. The post said this was just a trailer; the next bullets would be in his chest, and that his condition would be worse than Baba Siddiqui, who was gunned down by the Bishnoi gang in October 2024.

Police sources said technical analysis of the scooter’s movement patterns and related inputs led investigators to the Waraje area of Pune, from where the suspects were taken into custody for questioning. The men, who are said to be working as drivers and mechanics, are suspected to have helped arrange transport, shelter, and escape routes for the attackers.

Mumbai Police are treating the threat linked to the firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence as a high-risk organized crime act after investigators found striking similarities with the Bishnoi gang’s earlier modus operandi, sources said.

According to Crime Branch sources, the Bishnoi gang has a consistent pattern of claiming responsibility through social media posts immediately after an attack. The post is then widely circulated, screenshots are taken, and the original social media account is deleted shortly thereafter. This tactic makes it difficult for investigators to trace the original URL or determine the exact location from where the post was uploaded.

Sources said the same method was used during the firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence and in the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. In both cases, threatening posts were uploaded shortly after the incidents and the accounts were deleted soon after, erasing key digital trails.

In the Shetty case, police found that a threatening Facebook post claiming responsibility surfaced within 45 minutes of the firing and was deleted later, raising red flags. Subham Lonkar is an unknown destination outside India and is suspected to be the mastermind. Rohit Shetty was on the sixth floor of his tower when the incident took place.

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Mumbai : Police are probing if the firing at filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s bungalow could be linked to his upcoming film projects. Shetty shares close ties with senior police officers and is often seen sharing the dais with them during programmes. He recently acquired the rights to former police commissioner Rakesh Maria’s book on the underworld.

Police have increased security around his residence. Police and forensic teams secured the premises to carry out a detailed examination.

The gunman was arrested along with three others from Pune. The four arrested men are: Swapnil Sakat (23), Siddharth Yenpure (20), Aditya Gayaki (19) and Samarth Pomaji (18). One is a college student and the others are unemployed. Police haven’t said who among them is the gunman. A fifth, Aman Marote (27), also from Pune, has been served a notice and will be called for questioning.

The firing was at 12.45 am on the first floor of Shetty Tower, Hasya Kalakar Mehmood Chowk, Juhu.

In a social media post, written in Hindi and English, gangster Shubham Lonkar, an associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, said: “Ram Ram, Jai Bajrang Bali, to all brothers. We, Shubham Lonkar, Aarzoo Bhishnoi, Hari Boxer, and Harman Shandu, take responsibility for the firing that took place today at film director Rohit Shetty's house (Shetty Tower) in Mumbai.”

It said: “We messaged him many times telling him not to interfere in our work, but he didn't understand. We've given him this small trailer. If he doesn't understand our message and doesn't listen to us, then the next bullet won't be fired outside his house, but inside his bedroom, right in his chest. And this is a warning to the entire Bollywood industry: mend your ways while you still have time, otherwise, your situation will be very bad.” Police said they are verifying the claim, given that Shetty is not known to have received threats.

Police said the suspect came on a bike from Pune (from where he left on Saturday), fired five rounds and abandoned his bike 2 km away. “The bike had a Pune registration. The rider was captured on CCTV near Shetty's home.”

The officer said the bike was not stolen and was owned by one of the suspects, and it is in custody of Crime Branch and Anti Extortion Cell. "The bike’s details led us to the suspects.”

The police said Shetty has three guards in the building. "The guards were inside the building, with one visiting the toilet. All rushed out on hearing bullet sounds. The bullets struck the first floor and the wall of the building. Shetty called the police," said a crime branch officer.

Pune is believed to be where the Bishnoi gang plotted the murder of NCP MLA Baba Siddiqui, in which police had arrested four suspects from Pune’s Karvenagar and Shivane areas, including Pravin, brother of Shubham Lonkar, who ran a dairy in Karvenagar.

A senior crime branch official said no direct link has been found yet between the Juhu firing case suspects and those arrested in the Siddiqui murder, though the angle is under investigation.

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After shots were fired outside actor Salman Khan’s Galaxy Apartments in 2024, a similar firing incident is now reported outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence in Juhu.

The incident took place around 12.40 am on Sunday at the 10-storey Shetty Tower, located at Hasya Kalakar Mahmood Chowk. An unidentified man allegedly fired five rounds at the building before fleeing the spot. The filmmaker, along with his family, was present at his residence when the firing occurred.

Following the incident, the Mumbai Crime Branch, with assistance from Juhu police and the Pune Crime Branch, detained five suspects from Pune in connection with the case.

According to police sources, the accused had purchased a two-wheeler in Pune a few days earlier. The vehicle was registered in another person’s name. The shooter allegedly conducted reconnaissance of the area and mapped out escape routes prior to the attack.

“At around 12.40 am, the accused arrived on the two-wheeler and parked it two buildings away from Rohit Shetty’s residence. He then walked to the spot and fired five rounds,” a police officer said.

“One bullet struck the safety glass of a balcony, two hit the wall on the first floor, and the remaining two hit the safety wall near the building entrance.” The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the building and nearby areas.

After firing, the accused fled on the two-wheeler. However, upon encountering a police nakabandi near the Tulip Star Hotel junction, he made a U-turn and escaped towards Juhu Church. Out of fear of being caught, he abandoned the vehicle near the church and boarded an autorickshaw. When the driver refused to go to Kalyan from Juhu, he was dropped at Juhu Chowpatty. He later changed autos, reached Santacruz station, travelled to Kalyan and eventually escaped to Pune by train, police said.

During the investigation, police examined multiple CCTV cameras but found only blurred footage of the accused parking the two-wheeler. The vehicle was seized from the spot. Using the registration number, police traced the original owner, who revealed that he had recently sold the vehicle to the shooter. Mumbai Crime Branch officials subsequently alerted the Pune Crime Branch, leading to the detention of five suspects from different locations in Pune.

- Aman Anand Marote, 27, resident of Karve Nagar

- Aditya Gnaneshwar Gayaki, 19, Karve Nagar

- Siddharth Deepak Yenpure, 20, Dhayari

- Samarth Shivsharan Pomaji, 18, Dhayari

- Swapnil Bandu Sakat, 23, Pune district

Police recovered five used bullet cartridges and sent them for forensic examination. Bullet impact marks have also been documented. 

A senior Crime Branch officer said Shetty had not received any threat calls or messages prior to the incident. “There is no record of threats or any ongoing dispute. He was not involved in any controversy. We are still trying to determine why his residence was targeted,” the officer said.

Following the firing, a social media post surfaced claiming responsibility in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police said the post, which also carried threats aimed at the film industry, is currently being verified. No official confirmation has been made so far regarding the authenticity of the claim. 

Investigators are also examining whether the incident could be linked to the recent launch of a book on the Mumbai underworld by former police commissioner Rakesh Maria, an event attended by Shetty and actor Ajay Devgn. Police have not established any direct connection so far.

“This was not an attempt to kill the filmmaker,” a Crime Branch officer said. “It appears to be an act meant to intimidate. The motive behind the firing is still unclear and remains under investigation.”