Gunmen target Tiger Shroff: Another actor on firing line, another close shave

Forensic experts and police collect samples of evidence from the spot where unidentified assailants fired at Tiger Shroff, near Pushpa Narsee park, Vile Parle west in Mumbai (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

The firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff has triggered a political row, with Opposition leaders on Sunday accusing Maharashtra Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis of failing to maintain law and order, even as the state government vowed to track down those responsible.

Fadnavis spoke to the Mumbai Police Commissioner to seek details of the incident and directed him to conduct a swift investigation and take strict action against those responsible. He also called Shroff and assured him that the accused would be arrested soon.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the incident as “deeply concerning and condemnable”. He said the Mumbai Police Commissioner had formed several teams to trace those involved in the firing.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde meets actor Jackie Shroff and his son, actor Tiger Shroff, at their Mumbai residence after Tiger sustained minor injuries in a firing incident in Juhu. (Express photo by Vallabh Ozarkar)

“Whether it is a celebrity or an ordinary citizen, ensuring their safety is the responsibility of the police and the government, and there will be no negligence in this regard. No gang will be spared,” Shinde said.

Meanwhile, MLC Zeeshan Siddique, son of former NCP leader Baba Siddique, whose murder had raised concerns over law and order in Mumbai, said he was yet to get justice for his father and flagged concerns over his own security.

“It has been two years since my father’s death, and the way law and order conditions are deteriorating in Mumbai is very unfortunate. What happened with Tiger is completely wrong. I have been demanding security for myself, but it has not been increased by even one per cent.”

No one has been detained so far. The case is likely to be transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, an officer told The Indian Express.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said the incident reflected Fadnavis’s failure as Home Minister. He alleged that the underworld was gaining ground and Mumbai was becoming increasingly unsafe. NCP (SP) working president and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule said the rise in crime was worrying, particularly when the state was grappling with drought and economic distress. She accused the government of not taking the situation seriously.

AICC secretary Sachin Sawant cited previous incidents, including the murder of Baba Siddique and the firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence, to question the state of law and order in Mumbai.

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Mumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad also questioned the government’s ability to ensure public safety, asking who was responsible for protecting Mumbaikars amid continued incidents of firing and targeted attacks. She said the motive behind the firing involving Shroff was not yet clear and called on the government and Home Department to explain what steps were being taken.