Police claimed on Saturday that the three shooters who fled after opening fire at actor Tiger Shroff's car on the evening of October 18 received real-time updates from their 'handlers' about the investigation through news coverage, allowing them to change their escape routes.
The accused were apprehended from a train in Kota on October 19.
As media outlets broadcast news updates, unseen handlers were relaying the information directly to the shooters through encrypted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) messaging applications, police sources told PTI.
According to sources in the crime branch investigating the case, at one point during the escape, when news channels aired visuals of the attack, one of the primary suspects received an urgent instruction on his mobile phone: "Tumhare chehre aa gaye hain, nikal jao waha se" (Your faces are out, get out of there).
The actor escaped relatively unhurt on October 18 evening after two shooters fired multiple rounds at his car in Mumbai's Juhu area, prompting a multi-state investigation and the nabbing of ten individuals from Rajasthan, UP, and Haryana. Shroff's driver and a vlogger sustained injuries.
The three key accused identified as Phool Singh (18), Rehan Rahisuddin Ansari (18), and Rithik Mahto (22) were intercepted and apprehended by the Kota Police in Rajasthan the following day and are currently in police custody until October 31.
Analysis of digital evidence showed that Rehan was in constant VoIP communication using internet-based applications such as Signal or Zangi, which do not require mobile numbers for registration, according to crime branch sources.
They further said that media reports detailing the recovery of the attackers' motorcycle in Andheri and their subsequent train journey were immediately relayed to the shooters, allegedly by their handlers.
"This constant feed prompted the trio to frequently shift modes of transport, moving from a motorcycle to a train, followed by a cab, before planning to board a bus from Surat.
"The delay at the Surat bus terminal eventually led them to board another train, where they were apprehended by the Kota police following a prompt alert from the Mumbai Police," they said.
The Crime Branch is conducting custodial interrogations to uncover the procurement chain of the firearms and identify all individuals involved in supplying weapons and providing logistical support.
Mumbai Police have named gangster Anil Pandit, who had claimed responsibility for the firing on Tiger Shroff, as a wanted accused in the case. Pandit is an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang believed to be operating from the US. He had claimed responsibility for the October 18 attack on the actor in a social media post.
(With inputs from PTI)
