Key arrests shed light on the logistics: suspects sourced a scooty from Pune, drove it to Mumbai, and left it primed for the gunman near Shetty’s residence. The shooter seamlessly collected it, following a blueprint laid out by fugitive Shubham Lonkar, Bishnoi’s trusted lieutenant.

Lonkar’s fingerprints are everywhere—from assigning the scooty’s drop-off point to dictating the exact firing zone. The two-wheeler, originally owned by a Pune local, changed hands for Rs 30,000 to Aditya Gayki via a no-frills deal on plain paper. Gayki and Samarth Pomaji executed the delivery without knowing the endgame.

This ‘cell structure’ tactic, where operatives know only their slice of the plan, has become a hallmark of Bishnoi operations, frustrating law enforcement efforts. The nabbed quartet—Aditya Gyanshwar Gayki, Samarth Pomaji, Siddharth Deepak, and Swapnil Bandu—confessed direct links to Lonkar during custody.

With a fifth person under the scanner, possibly a key plotter, the investigation presses on. Mumbai Crime Branch emphasizes that such threats to public figures will be met with unrelenting pursuit, signaling a broader crackdown on organized crime infiltrating entertainment hubs.