Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday issued a stern warning to criminal syndicates following the shocking attack on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. Dismissing the perpetrators as cowards hiding behind remote communication networks, the Chief Minister asserted that the Mumbai Police will completely dismantle the international tentacles of these criminal gangs.

Emphasising the professional calibre of the city’s law enforcement, CM Fadnavis stated that no one will be permitted to openly challenge the Mumbai Police or threaten public safety. Labelling the culprits as cowardly proxies who operate from hidden locations, he declared that their plots will be thoroughly neutralised.

Acknowledging that the threats originate from outside Maharashtra and beyond national borders, CM Fadnavis confirmed that the state machinery is actively coordinating with central intelligence agencies to root out the entire network.

“The police will find the accused, and their masterminds have also been found. Therefore, I can say with certainty that such incidents will not be tolerated. The Mumbai Police will definitely track down the accused. No one can openly challenge the police,” said CM Fadnavis.

“These are cowardly people. They hide somewhere and boast from there. They don’t have the courage. These are kind of hired people, and those who operate based on them,” CM Fadnavis said.

“The challenge the police definitely face in this is that they do not operate from Maharashtra; they operate from outside the country. By contacting the Central government agencies, the Mumbai Police will annihilate these gangs operating from outside Maharashtra and the country,” he added.

He noted that the police have already mapped crucial trails and identified key operatives linked to the assault.

CM Fadnavis said that public safety — for both celebrities and ordinary citizens — remains its paramount priority. With multiple specialised police teams deployed to probe the shooting, he added that the government has made it clear that local conspirators and international masterminds alike will face the full might of the law.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the attack on actor Tiger Shroff was extremely unfortunate, and he fortunately survived it. He mentioned that following the attack, Shroff’s entire family is currently in a state of terror and anxiety, prompting him to personally visit them to check on his health.

The Deputy CM noted that despite having no disputes or quarrels with anyone, such a life-threatening attack on a young actor has left the Shroff family, especially his mother, Ayesha Shroff, under severe mental stress.

Following the incident, Mumbai Police have taken serious cognisance of the matter, with the Police Commissioner forming a special team to track down the culprits.

Deputy CM Shinde, who visited the Tiger Shroff at his residence and inquired about his health, stated that these criminals will be apprehended immediately and strict action will be taken against them. Additionally, he mentioned that instructions have been given to the Mumbai Police Commissioner to review the security of all artists and actors in the film industry.

Addressing recent incidents of celebrities being threatened by the Bishnoi gang or other gangs, Shinde asserted, “The terror of any gang or attempts to threaten celebrities in Mumbai or Maharashtra will not be tolerated. Anyone attempting to do so will be given a fitting reply by the police,” he said.

Recalling how the police completely crushed Mumbai’s gang wars through strict action in the 1990s, Dy CM Shinde warned that anyone attempting to create terror through similar bullying today will not be spared. “The security of ordinary citizens and celebrities is the top priority of the government. Artists in the film industry have no reason to panic following such incidents,” said Dy CM Shinde.

He appealed to people that anyone receiving threat calls or messages from such gangs should immediately contact the Mumbai Police, assuring that the government stands firmly behind the artists.

Mumbai Juhu Police have registered a case against three unidentified persons in connection with the firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff, in which his caretaker and driver, Firdos Ibrahim Baloch, sustained injuries.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 109(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act. Police are investigating the incident to identify and apprehend the assailants and establish the roles of the other suspected individuals involved in the attack.

According to the complaint, the incident took place on the evening of October 18, 2026, at around 7 p.m., when Tiger Shroff was returning by car after playing football.

Two unidentified assailants allegedly opened fire at the vehicle using pistols, injuring Baloch. Another person present in the area was also hit by a bullet during the shooting, police said.

As per the FIR, the complainant, 47-year-old Firdos Ibrahim Baloch, has been working as Tiger Shroff’s caretaker for the past 28 years and also drives for the actor whenever required.

On October 18, at around 7 p.m., Shroff and Baloch left the M.M. Matrix Gym in Santacruz West in a car and proceeded to the grounds of Jamnabai Narsee International School in Vile Parle West to play football.

The complaint states that the attack took place while they were returning after the game. As their car exited the school grounds and turned left, two unidentified men allegedly approached and opened fire at the vehicle from the front and its left side.

The two alleged shooters are believed to be between 20 and 25 years old. The sudden gunfire created panic in the vicinity, forcing people present at the scene to run in different directions to protect themselves.

According to the complaint, the attackers fired with the intention of killing Shroff and Baloch, who were inside the car.

After the shooting, the assailants fled from the spot. The FIR also contains details about the vehicle allegedly used during their escape. Investigators are examining the involvement of the two shooters as well as their suspected accomplices in planning and executing the attack.

Baloch suffered a gunshot wound to his hand and a fracture to a finger during the incident. According to the complaint, a bullet struck him near the wrist of his left hand, causing an injury. He also sustained a fracture to the bone in the ring finger of his right hand.

Following the attack, Tiger Shroff reportedly took over the driver’s seat and drove the injured Baloch to the Santacruz Police Station. Baloch was subsequently admitted to Nanavati Hospital in Santacruz West for medical treatment.

Police said Shroff also sustained injuries to his chest and right arm during the incident, although he was not shot.

Meanwhile, another person who was present at the scene was struck by a bullet in the chest and is currently undergoing treatment at Cooper Hospital.

The complaint also provides descriptions of the clothing and physical appearance of the two alleged shooters to help investigators identify them.

The first accused has been described as a man aged approximately 20 to 25 years, with a slim build and a height estimated to be between 5.5 and 6 feet. He was reportedly wearing a white full-sleeved shirt, black trousers and white shoes at the time of the incident.

The second accused is also believed to be between 20 and 25 years old, with a slim build and a height ranging from 5.5 to 6 feet. According to the complaint, he was wearing a black cap bearing a white logo, a light-blue full-sleeved shirt, black trousers and white shoes.

The FIR also mentions a third suspect who allegedly assisted the shooters.

According to the complaint, the individual was wearing a chocolate-coloured, full-sleeved, round-neck shirt with a white stripe across the chest, khaki-coloured trousers and black-and-white shoes. The suspect was reportedly riding a motorcycle and is believed to have helped the attackers escape after the shooting.

Investigators suspect that the accused had conducted a reconnaissance of the area before carrying out the attack. According to the information available in the case, the suspects allegedly waited near Pushpa Park for around 45 minutes before opening fire.

After the shooting, the accused are believed to have travelled by motorcycle to Andheri West railway station, where they allegedly abandoned the vehicle near a police beat chowki at a location suspected to be outside the coverage area of CCTV cameras.

Investigators suspect that the accused may have subsequently headed towards Surat.

A forensic investigation has reportedly revealed that the attackers used a locally manufactured pistol, commonly referred to as a “copy piece”, to fire at the actor’s car.

The assailants allegedly fired seven rounds in total, targeting the vehicle’s front windshield and side window. Of the seven bullets fired, five reportedly struck the car, while the remaining two missed the vehicle.

According to the account of the incident, after firing the fifth round, the shooter positioned closest to the passenger-side window approached the vehicle and attempted to shoot Tiger Shroff from point-blank range. However, the pistol allegedly jammed, preventing the weapon from firing as intended.

The shooter reportedly attempted to fire twice more, but the weapon malfunctioned on both occasions.

Following the failed attempt, both alleged shooters fled the scene on a motorcycle that had reportedly been kept ready by a third accomplice.

Police are continuing to investigate the sequence of events.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team investigating the Ankita Bhandari murder case reached the residence of Urmila Sanawar, the alleged wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur on Sunday.

A four-member CBI team, including a woman officer, reached Sanawar’s residence to question her regarding the high-profile case.

Earlier this week, Sanawar had participated in a press conference in New Delhi, alongside Bhandari’s parents.

Sanawar, through a video message, had also demanded that the CBI must interrogate her in the presence of the media since the investigation is not happening under the watch of a sitting Supreme Court judge.

This comes a day after the CBI questioned former BJP MLA Rathore at the Shivalik Guest House in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar.

The CBI took over the probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case in February this year. Its Delhi-based Special Crime Branch had registered a case against an “unknown VIP” in connection with the matter.

The case had returned to the spotlight early this year after viral audio clips and videos surfaced involving Sanawar.

During a Facebook Live session, Sanawar made references to the alleged involvement of a VIP in the murder, triggering fresh controversy and public debate.

These developments led to heightened political tensions, with Opposition parties and several organisations renewing demands for a CBI enquiry into the case.

Responding to the growing pressure and to address public concerns, the Uttarakhand government moved swiftly to ensure transparency. On January 9, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami formally recommended a CBI investigation.

The murder of Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist, sparked widespread outrage across Uttarakhand in 2022. She was working as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort when she was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her body was dumped in the Chilla Shakti Canal and recovered nearly a week later.

Following an extensive investigation by a Special Investigation Team, a 500-page charge sheet was filed in the case, naming 97 witnesses, out of whom 47 testified before the court.

The prime accused, Pulkit Arya, the owner of Vanantra Resort, along with co-accused Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Arya was found guilty on multiple serious charges, including murder, tampering with evidence, harassment, and immoral trafficking.

Meanwhile, several activists and the Congress have been organising protests in Uttarakhand and Delhi over the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.

Earlier this week, Bhandari’s parents staged a sit-in at India Gate, demanding a stop to Gautam’s appointment as Governor. Later, along with Garhwal BJP MP Anil Baluni, they met the CBI officials.

Bhandari’s parents have also demanded that the government put the appointment on hold till the CBI probe is underway. They have urged the government to work towards ensuring that all those guilty of their daughter’s murder face strict punishment.