The brazen shooting at director Rohit Shetty’s Mumbai home has taken a dramatic turn, with police uncovering a jail-orchestrated masterplan from Tihar and Arthur Road prisons. As Mumbai Crime Branch accelerates its probe, daily disclosures are painting a picture of a deep-rooted criminal syndicate.
Suspects nabbed from Haryana and UP have confessed that the scheme was hatched in these correctional facilities. The Agra unit, featuring shooter Deepak Chandra, handled the on-ground assault, while Tihar inmate Golu Pandit, linked to the Lawrence gang, masterminded the coordination.
Pandit, known to Shubham Lonkar, facilitated shooter recruitment by connecting with Vishnu Kushwaha. The latter assembled the team, including Chandra. Lonkar and accomplice Arju Bishnoi sealed the deal with cash incentives right before the attack.
Pandit’s recent bail release from Tihar has put him in the crosshairs, with arrest operations underway. On the logistics front, Pune module chief Praveen Lonkar – Shubham’s sibling and Arthur Road prisoner facing Baba Siddique murder charges – arranged the getaway car and firearms.
Remand proceedings against Praveen are on the anvil. Key evidence shows jail-based phone links kept the plot alive. This multi-layered conspiracy underscores vulnerabilities in prison communication, prompting a crackdown to nab fugitives and fortify security for high-profile targets like Shetty.