Mumbai/New Delhi: The investigation into the firing at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu area on October 18 took a new turn on Tuesday, October 20, with Delhi Police's Special Cell arresting four people allegedly linked to the supply of the weapon and to efforts to help the shooters escape, IANS reported. The four were identified as Kunal, 21, and Sumit, 19, both residents of Sonipat district in Haryana, and Radha, 23, from Sitapur and Babita, 23, from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the Special Cell, Kunal, who had recently been released from jail on bail, was allegedly introduced to an alleged coordinator, Anil Pandit, through a friend from Harsana village, and the two communicated through an encrypted messaging application. Police allege that, on Pandit's instructions, Kunal collected a pistol and 20 rounds of ammunition from Amritsar, accompanied by Sumit. All of these are police allegations and have not been proved in court.

Police further allege that on October 15, Kunal took Radha and Babita to New Delhi Railway Station, from where the two women boarded a train to Mumbai with the pistol concealed in Radha's bag. The women reached Dadar on October 17 and checked into a hotel, where, at around 11 am, a minor boy allegedly collected the bag from Radha, according to the Special Cell. The minor has not been named or identified in any report, in line with protections for minors.

Shots were fired at Shroff's car at around 7 pm on October 18. Police allege Pandit then told Kunal that the shooters were stranded in Mumbai and asked him to arrange their escape. Radha and Babita left Mumbai the same day on the Dadar-Haridwar Express. The Special Cell said the two women were apprehended at New Delhi Railway Station on October 20, while Kunal and Sumit were apprehended in Sonipat. The four were produced before a court under Section 35(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the court granted Maharashtra CID three days' transit remand to take them to Mumbai for custodial interrogation, the Daily Jagran reported.

The Hindu noted that the Special Cell's statement does not establish whether the pistol allegedly transported by the accused has been conclusively linked to the firing, or whether the alleged attempt to arrange the shooters' escape succeeded. The investigation is continuing, and the accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence until charges are proved.