Tiger Shroff Firing Case: 12th Suspect Nabbed in Sonipat
Mumbai Crime Branch arrests the 12th suspect in the Tiger Shroff firing case from Haryana. Details on MCOCA charges and court proceedings.
The investigation into the shocking attack on Bollywood star Tiger Shroff has taken a significant turn as the Mumbai Crime Branch apprehended the 12th accused in the Tiger Shroff firing case. The suspect was tracked down and detained in Sonipat, Haryana, on Thursday with the critical assistance of the local Sonipat Police.
Following the detention, the accused is now being transported to Mumbai on a transit remand to be interrogated by the investigating officers. The Mumbai Police confirmed the operation, stating that the arrest was the result of specific inputs gathered during their ongoing probe into the October 18 shooting.
The Night of the Attack
The incident that sent shockwaves through the film industry occurred around 7 pm on October 18 in the Juhu area of Mumbai. Tiger Shroff had just finished a football session and was leaving a football club when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle.
While the actor miraculously escaped the attack unharmed, the violence left others wounded. His driver sustained injuries during the firing, and a bystander was also caught in the crossfire and injured. The case was officially registered on October 19, after which the Mumbai Crime Branch took over the investigation to uncover the conspiracy behind the attack.
MCOCA Invoked: Legal Heat Turns Up
The severity of the crime has led the authorities to invoke the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999. Initially, the case was registered under Sections 109(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act.
However, on October 27, the competent authority granted permission to apply MCOCA provisions. Consequently, Sections 3(1)(ii), 3(2), and 3(4) of the Act have been added against all the accused, signaling that the police view this as an organized criminal effort.
Court Drama and Medical Pleas
On Thursday, the 11 previously arrested suspects were produced before a special court. The Mumbai Police requested a 10-day custody period to delve deeper into the digital and financial trails and to extract crucial data from seized mobile phones.
During the proceedings, a medical complication regarding the ninth accused came to light. Defence lawyer Ajinkya Mirgal Madhukar informed the court that the suspect has only one functional kidney, presenting medical records to support the claim. While the defence argued that physical custody was unnecessary as the evidence had already been seized, the court ultimately remanded the accused to police custody until November 6.
The judge also ensured that the accused understood the proceedings in Marathi and explicitly instructed them to cooperate fully with the investigation.
With the 12th arrest in Haryana, the Mumbai Crime Branch continues to piece together the motives and the network involved in the targeted attack on the actor.