Tiger Shroff firing: Bishnoi gang used rickshaw drivers' UPI accounts to pay shooters, police allege

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang is alleged to have used the bank accounts of autorickshaw drivers and small shopkeepers in Mumbai to get money to the shooters in the firing on actor Tiger Shroff outside a football turf in Juhu. The firing took place on October 18. The Crime Branch has uncovered a large network built on local UPI transactions, structured so that handlers abroad would not be directly linked to the money trail.

According to police sources, Anil Pandit, a key aide of the gang, is suspected of working from abroad. He was in constant contact with the shooters Phool Singh, Rehan and Hritik. He is alleged to have told the three to approach local autorickshaw drivers and shopkeepers. The shooters are also alleged to have lured these account holders with commission, taken their UPI QR codes and sent them on to Anil.

The QR codes were sent to Anil's younger brother, Abhishek Pandit. On Abhishek's instructions, his wife Suneha Pandit scanned the QR codes from Karnal in Haryana and sent the money. A senior police officer said this method let the gang move money through seemingly ordinary transactions and made it hard to find the real source and the beneficiary. He added that the police can now see the route.

The role of these local account holders is now under investigation. Police are examining how their bank details were used in the gang's financial dealings. It has not yet been established whether the autorickshaw drivers and shopkeepers knew of the alleged criminal links or were simply taken in by the lure of commission.

The Crime Branch had earlier traced a money trail linked to cryptocurrency. In it, Abhishek received money from crypto wallets abroad and diverted about Rs 47 lakh to a State Bank of India account in Karnal. The account was linked to Suneha's mobile number. Investigators suspect that money obtained through extortion was routed through special crypto wallets and VPN services. Its threads have been found to reach Cambodia and Denmark.

The investigation has also turned up details of several transactions made by Suneha. Rs 57,000 was sent to the shooter Hritik. Rs 5,000 went towards the lodge stay of Phool Singh and Rehan, while Rs 50,000 was sent to an associate named Amar. Money from abroad is also alleged to have been used to pay for the shooters' accommodation and motorcycle expenses.

With the help of digital forensics and technical surveillance, investigators have uncovered a large part of the financial network. Police suspect that Abhishek is currently abroad and is handling the gang's finances from there through cryptocurrency and hawala networks. The Crime Branch is now examining the many layers through which the money was moved, including local bank accounts and QR code payments.

Meanwhile, Umesh Chauhan, a fan of Tiger Shroff, was hit by a bullet fired at the actor and was admitted to KEM Hospital. He has now been discharged and is recovering at home. Though his health is improving, he has not yet been able to return to work. Chauhan said, "I met my family after so many days following the firing. Coming home alive feels like the greatest earning. But I worry about how I will look after them. The Shroff family has promised financial help, but I want to get back to work and to video blogging as soon as possible." His wife is expected to deliver their second child in the coming fortnight.