5th suspect arrested in Rohit Shetty house shooting case
What's the story
In a significant development, the Mumbai Crime Branch has apprehended a fifth suspect in the shooting incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence. The arrested individual, identified as Asharam Fasle from Pune, is believed to have supplied the weapon used in the attack. This brings the total number of arrests to five. The Anti-Extortion Cell confirmed to media on Thursday that all five suspects are currently in police custody and will be presented before a court today for further remand.
Case details
Shooting aimed to instill fear within film industry
The incident took place last Sunday at Shetty's Juhu bungalow in Mumbai. The police believe that the shooting was intended to instill fear within the film industry, following alleged extortion threats against several Bollywood celebrities. So far, fugitive gangster associate Shubham Lonkar has reportedly threatened at least five celebrities with extortion but none have filed a formal complaint due to fear, according to Mumbai Police officials, quoted by the Times of India.
Investigation hurdles
No formal complaints filed
Despite receiving intelligence inputs indicating that several people have received threatening calls, no one has come forward to record statements or lodge complaints. A senior police officer stated, "If facts are concealed, it becomes extremely difficult for the police to take suo moto action." In one of Lonkar's social media posts, he had issued warnings to Shetty and other Bollywood celebrities. However, Shetty himself has denied receiving any threatening calls.
Nationwide search
Police teams dispatched to locate shooters
Multiple police teams have been dispatched to various parts of the country in a bid to locate the shooters. Officials are hopeful that once the shooter is apprehended, it will be easier to identify who orchestrated the attack. Meanwhile, Shetty continues to work on his professional commitments, including an upcoming Rakesh Maria biopic starring John Abraham. He is also expected to begin work on Golmaal 5 soon.