In the firing incident outside the residence of noted Bollywood filmmaker Rohit Shetty, accused persons arrested from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have made several startling revelations during interrogation by the Mumbai Crime Branch.
According to sources, the investigation has revealed that the accused were recruited on the instructions of alleged mastermind Shubham Lonkar. Vishnu Kushwaha reportedly roped in shooter Deepak Sharma along with Sunny Kumar, Sonu Kumar and others. During the recruitment process, Kushwaha and Lonkar allegedly brainwashed the accused by invoking Hindutva ideology and showing them “big dreams” of quick fame and wealth.
Sources said the Crime Branch suspects that shooter Deepak Sharma was given pistol training prior to the attack. However, authorities are still gathering evidence to ascertain where and by whom the training was conducted. Teams of the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Uttar Pradesh STF are working to establish these details.
Investigators have further learned that Rs 50,000 was allegedly transferred by Lonkar to Vishnu Kushwaha to execute the firing, which was then handed over to the shooter. Apart from this amount, the accused were reportedly promised a larger sum after the attack by the Bishnoi gang.
Sources indicate that Kushwaha had been in contact with the Bishnoi gang for the past few years and was allegedly working for them in Uttar Pradesh. Lonkar is said to have assigned Kushwaha the responsibility of planning the firing outside Shetty’s residence. Kushwaha then allegedly selected unemployed youths from his native district Agra, who were influenced by the Bishnoi gang and frequently posted social media reels featuring firearms.
The accused were reportedly lured with promises of working for the gang and becoming wealthy in a short span of time. Influenced by the image of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, shooter Deepak Sharma and others agreed to join the gang. Lonkar allegedly communicated with them via the Signal app, providing details of the target and tempting them with fame and money.
Sources further revealed that all seven accused arrested from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were aware of the identity of the target. After carrying out the firing at Shetty’s residence, the shooter and his two associates fled to Agra and later to Noida. The individuals who sheltered them — identified as Jatin and Vishal — were also aware that they had executed the attack at Shetty’s home.
Investigations have also uncovered that before the firing, Deepak Sharma switched off his mobile phone and handed it over to his associate Sunny Kumar, who stayed back at Juhu Chowpatty. After the incident, the accused did not switch on their phones, making it difficult for the Crime Branch to trace them for 16 days. However, the police eventually tracked them down using dump data analysis.
Further investigation in the case is underway.