MUMBAI: Gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a car carrying Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff near his Mumbai home on Sunday evening, wounding his driver and a bystander but leaving the actor unhurt by the gunfire, according to local media reports.
Five shots were reportedly fired at Shroff's BMW near Pushpa Park in the Juhu neighborhood at about 7 p.m., as the actor was returning home from a football match. An autorickshaw driver nearby was also wounded, Gulf News reported.
Initial accounts say three men arrived on one motorcycle. Two allegedly opened fire while the third waited with the bike. Videos circulating online appear to show the suspects speeding away.
Mumbai Police have set up 15 teams to track down the attackers, the Indian Express reported, citing unnamed sources. One person has been detained for questioning in the suburb of Santacruz. Police have not said whether the person is considered a suspect.
A social media post attributed to two men, Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu, later claimed responsibility on behalf of the gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi. Police have not verified the claim.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the Shroff family home hours after the shooting. Shroff appeared with bandages, and Shinde told reporters the actor had hand injuries from gunpowder and shattered glass. Shinde said Shroff and his mother were badly shaken.
Shinde called the attack serious and condemnable and said the state would protect public figures facing open threats. "No form of threat will be tolerated," he said. He also referred to the gang violence of the 1990s, which he said Mumbai Police brought under control by 1995, and promised a similarly firm response.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis phoned Shroff and assured him the attackers would be found and arrested quickly, according to the reports.
Shroff's mother, Ayesha Shroff, commented publicly for the first time since the attack. Asked by India Today how her son was doing, she responded with a thumbs-up and expressed gratitude.
Several visitors went to the actor's home late Sunday to check on him, including actor Disha Patani. An industry body has called for stronger protection for people in Bollywood.
The reports did not say whether anyone has been charged or whether police have identified a motive.
