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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 8:56:24 pm

Accused trio get 10-day remand

Mumbai: A Mumbai Court has given 10 days police custody to three arrested accused in the firing on Bollywood action star Tiger Shroff in a crowded public place as the investigators attempt to unravel the conspiracy, motives, involvement of other players and related aspects of the sensational case, on Wednesday. The accused trio Rehan alias Sukka, and Phool Singh both from Sonipat in Haryana and Rhitik Kurmi alias Roshan, originally from Begusarai in Bihar but currently residing in Mumbai,...

Accused trio get 10-day remand

Mumbai: A Mumbai Court has given 10 days police custody to three arrested accused in the firing on Bollywood action star Tiger Shroff in a crowded public place as the investigators attempt to unravel the conspiracy, motives, involvement of other players and related aspects of the sensational case, on Wednesday. The accused trio Rehan alias Sukka, and Phool Singh both from Sonipat in Haryana and Rhitik Kurmi alias Roshan, originally from Begusarai in Bihar but currently residing in Mumbai, were brought here from Kota in separate vehicles early today. They were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Esplanade Court where the police sought 14 days’ custody for the accused who are allegedly acting at the behest of the jailed mafia chief Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang. Pleading for the remand, the police lawyers argued that sustained custodial interrogation was necessary to recover the weapons used in the shooting – which the accused had thrown away while fleeing, retrieve two mobile phones which were reportedly destroyed by the accused, besides digging out the entire conspiracy, pinpoint the exact motives and identify other persons involved in the brazen attack. Opposing the plea, the accused’s lawyers Ajinkya Mirgal and Satyabrat Joshi argued that police custody was unnecessary, particularly for recovering the weapons. Mirgal and Joshi later told mediapersons that the accused had already been interrogated at a railway colony during their transit-remand period and were produced before the CMM Court just minutes before the transit remand expired this afternoon. After hearing both sides, the CMM remanded them to police custody for 10 days till October 31. It may be recalled that Shroff, 36, was targeted on the evening of October 18 near Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu. Despite being a heavily crowded area, the assailants were seen firing at least 5-6 rounds at the actor’s car before fleeing on a motorcycle. A shaken Shroff escaped relatively unhurt, sustaining minor bruises, but his driver and a bystander suffered injuries. Following the incident, the Mumbai Police registered a case of attempted murder and offences under the Arms Act, and launched an interstate investigation involving Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, and later Gujarat and Delhi. The Mumbai Police formed 20 teams to hunt down the attackers, recovered the second-hand motorcycle outside Andheri station where it was abandoned and tracked their journey through different modes of transport from Mumbai to Surat and Kota. Acting on a tech-intel alert from Mumbai Police, the Kota Police lay in wait for them and apprehended them from the general coach of the Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express on Monday morning. Initial probe revealed that the assailants were planning to flee the country after travelling to the borders via Jaipur and Delhi. They were lured by the promise of sneaking them out of India to a foreign country, possibly Canada and rehabilitating them. Three key accused brought to Mumbai from Kota Three key accused apprehended in connection with the firing at actor Tiger Shroff’s car were brought to Mumbai from Kota in Rajasthan early on Wednesday, police said. Police brought them by road from Kota to Mumbai and, upon arrival, immediately took them to GT Hospital for a mandatory medical examination, an official said. Following the medical check-up, the accused were escorted to the Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) office for interrogation. The accused have been identified as Rehan alias Sukka, from Sonipat in Haryana; Ritik Kurmi alias Roshan, originally from Begusarai in Bihar and living in Mumbai; and Phool Singh from Haryana, the official said. The Kota city police had handed them over to Mumbai Police, which formally arrested them and produced them before a magistrate there. The court granted transit remand to take them to Mumbai. Meanwhile, advocate Ajinkya Mirgal arrived at the AEC office in Mumbai on Wednesday morning, informing officials that he would represent the accused as their defence counsel in the case. At least two men fired gunshots at Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening before speeding away on a motorcycle. The actor escaped relatively unhurt, while his driver and a bystander were injured. According to Mumbai Police, five to six rounds were fired at the car. A motorcycle, allegedly used by the shooters, was found abandoned in Andheri. The accused fled to Surat and once there, boarded a Jaipur-bound train. The three were supposed to go to Delhi on a bus and then flee to Nepal. The Mumbai Police have registered a case under the provisions of attempt to murder and the Arms Act. According to the police, Rehan was in touch with Anil Pandit, an alleged associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which claimed responsibility for the attack in an unverified social media post. On Tuesday, the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested four more persons, including two women, in connection with the firing case. Police suspect they were acting on the directions of Anil Pandit, a gangster operating from abroad, an official earlier said. The four accused, identified as Kunal (21), Sumit (19), Radha (23), and Babita (23), were apprehended from Delhi and Haryana. According to police, Kunal allegedly collected a pistol and 20 rounds from Amritsar on the instructions of Anil Pandit, with Sumit accompanying him. Radha and Babita allegedly travelled to Mumbai with the weapon. Following the arrest, the police said the motive of the shooting was being ascertained, while the way Shroff was attacked, the assailants planned to kill him.

Vijay-AIADMK pact takes Annamalai’s wicket

Writer: Akhilesh Sinha
Akhilesh Sinha
Jun 3
2 min read

New Delhi: The emergence of C Joseph Vijay as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister has intensified debate over the political realignments that preceded the 2026 Assembly elections, with many observers linking his rise to the political marginalisation and eventual exit of former BJP state president K. Annamalai.


According to political commentators, Annamalai had increasingly come to view Tamil Nadu’s politics as requiring a new alternative focused on clean governance and nationalism. This is said to have influenced his decision to leave the BJP and explore the possibility of launching a new political platform in the state.


Despite efforts by the BJP leadership to elevate him to a national role, Annamalai reportedly preferred to remain in Tamil Nadu, where he had built a strong following among young voters through extensive grassroots outreach. His “En Mann, En Makkal” campaign, combined with a growing social media presence, had helped enhance his profile and contributed to the BJP’s improved vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.


However, the BJP’s strategy ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections increasingly revolved around its alliance with the AIADMK. Annamalai had long expressed reservations about excessive dependence on the regional party and had previously attracted controversy through remarks on former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and other figures associated with the Dravidian movement.


When the BJP and AIADMK renewed their alliance before the Assembly polls, Annamalai was replaced as state BJP president by Nainar Nagendran and was not fielded as an Assembly candidate. The move was interpreted as an attempt to preserve alliance harmony and avoid friction with the AIADMK.


Potential Threat

Some analysts contend that Vijay had already established lines of communication with influential sections of the AIADMK and viewed Annamalai as a potential political threat because of his growing popularity among younger voters. They argue that Annamalai’s aggressive campaign style and expanding support base unsettled both allies and rivals, creating circumstances that ultimately benefited Vijay.


Following the elections, speculation emerged about informal understandings between leaders in the AIADMK and Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), particularly after several AIADMK legislators were seen extending support to the new Chief Minister. While no evidence has publicly substantiated such claims, they continue to fuel political discussion in the state.


Within the BJP, even some party leaders acknowledge that Annamalai played a significant role in strengthening the organisation's grassroots presence in Tamil Nadu. His supporters argue that he transformed the BJP into a more visible political force capable of challenging both the DMK and AIADMK.


Annamalai entered politics in 2019 after resigning from the Indian Police Service, citing a desire to promote transparent and corruption-free governance. Since leaving the BJP, he has reportedly signalled an interest in building a political movement rooted in nationalism and Hindutva.


Next Move

His possible next move comes at a time when Tamil Nadu’s political landscape is undergoing significant change. Vijay’s success has drawn comparisons with earlier anti-establishment political experiments elsewhere in India, particularly the rapid rise of new political formations that challenged entrenched parties.


Tamil Nadu’s political discourse has historically been shaped by the legacy of Periyar’s Self-Respect Movement and the Dravidian parties it inspired. Vijay sought to broaden his appeal beyond traditional Dravidian politics by positioning himself as a cross-sectional leader capable of attracting diverse voter groups.

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