Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff was playing football with television actors Abhishek Bajaj and Karan Veer Mehra just hours before gunmen opened fire at his car in Mumbai’s Juhu area. Following the incident, in an interview with News18, Abhishek spoke about playing football with Tiger and expressed relief that the actor was safe.
Abhishek Bajaj recalls playing football with Tiger Shroff hours before the firing incident
Abhishek, who was at the football ground before the shooting took place, confirmed that he had played with Tiger shortly before the incident. Speaking about the attack, he told News18, “Yes, we were playing together before the incident happened. We are fine. He’s safe now. No need to worry at all.”
Television actor Karan Veer Mehra, who was also present at the location, recalled what happened after the group left the football ground. Karan Veer said his car was travelling directly behind Tiger’s vehicle when the shooting took place. In an interview, Karan Veer said, “My car was right behind, you know, by the time we left the gate, by the time my car reached, I just saw blood spots, and I got to know that Tiger’s driver had been shot. So, I’m just happy that, you know, he’s safe, but my heart goes out to the driver, and I hope he recovers well… There were kids right there, celebrating a birthday party; everybody ran helter-skelter.”
Karan Veer also recalled the confusion at the scene, where people initially struggled to understand what had happened. He said that there were people taking photographs and others celebrating a birthday with fireworks nearby. When they heard gunshots and people shouting that someone had opened fire, they initially thought the sounds could be connected to the fireworks. The situation became clearer when they learnt that Tiger’s driver had been shot.
About the shooting incident involving Tiger Shroff
On Sunday, Tiger was leaving a club in Pushpa Park, Juhu, after playing football with friends when three bike-borne gunmen allegedly fired at least five rounds at his car. The actor’s driver and an autorickshaw driver were injured in the incident.
After his driver was injured, Tiger took over the wheel. Sources at Nanavati Hospital said that the driver had sustained a gunshot wound to his left hand and might require surgery. Tiger, meanwhile, suffered minor abrasions. He was examined at the hospital and later discharged.
Following the shooting, a forensic team examined the scene, inspected the vehicle and collected ballistic evidence to establish the number of rounds fired. Police also reviewed CCTV footage from surrounding areas as part of their efforts to identify the people involved in the attack. A person was later detained in Santacruz in connection with the case.
Two alleged operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu, subsequently claimed responsibility for the shooting in social media posts. However, the authenticity of their claims remained to be verified by the police.
The shooting prompted a response from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who condemned the attack and said that threats of this nature would not be tolerated in Mumbai. Police have formed 15 teams to investigate the incident and identify those responsible for the attack on Tiger.