MUMBAI: Investigations into the Feb 1 firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence indicate the main shooter and six other accused were recruited by the Shubham Lonkar gang through social media and local contacts, and were lured with promises of quick money, fame, and a sense of identity.Police sources said the youths were allegedly indoctrinated with messaging that framed the act as a “mission” by “Hindu sainiks” to create fear and gain notoriety. The main shooter was reportedly paid Rs 50,000 in advance and promised a larger payout after the attack.
The Mumbai Crime Branch, along with the UP Special Task Force, arrested seven more people on Monday in connection with the incident. Police said two modules were involved: a Pune module that provided logistical support and a North India module that executed the attack. The shooter, Deepak Chandra Sharma, and others including Sonu Thakur, Hrithik Yadav, Vinshu Kushwaha, Jatin Bhardwaj, and Vishal Thakur are from Agra, Etawah, and Haryana. Sources said the Pune module received around Rs 60,000, while the UP module of seven people got Rs 1 lakh to carry out the firing, though police cautioned these figures are yet to be verified as the accused have been changing their statements.
