Main shooter, six others held for firing at Rohit Shetty’s Juhu house

Lucknow: In a major interstate operation, UP STF in a joint action with Mumbai Crime Branch arrested 7 accused, including the main shooter, on Sunday for allegedly opening fire at the Juhu residence of noted filmmaker Rohit Shetty on Feb 2. According to officials, the incident occurred around 12:45am at Shetty Tower in Juhu. The firing was allegedly carried out at the behest of the internationally active Shubham Lonkar gang, with the objective of spreading terror in the film industry and establishing extortion-based dominance among high-profile personalities, industrialists, and businessmen.
Following the incident, an FIR was registered in Mumbai under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, sections 37(1) and 37(2) of the Maharashtra Police Act, and provisions of the Arms Act. Mumbai Police launched an intensive probe, and based on technical surveillance and electronic evidence, sought assistance from the UP STF after the trail led to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.Given the gravity of the case, senior STF officials directed the Agra field unit to begin gathering intelligence. Technical analysis of call detail records, digital footprints, and movement patterns of suspects helped identify key operatives of the gang.On February 15, coordinated raids were conducted at multiple locations. The main shooter, Deepak (24), son of Ramesh Chandra and resident of Vijoli village in Agra district, was arrested from Machhrauli in Jhajjar, Haryana. Along with him, three associates—Sunny (23), Sonu (23), and Ritik (22), all from the same village—were arrested.Another accused, Vishnu Kushwaha (26), was arrested from Vijoli village in Agra. Jatin Bhardwaj (24), currently residing in Sector-45, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Vishal, a resident of Etawah, were arrested from the Sahibabad area of Ghaziabad.During joint interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that the attack was pre-planned to create panic in the film fraternity and demonstrate the operational reach of the Lonkar gang. Police said the task of executing the firing was assigned through Vishnu Kushwaha, who reportedly had links with Goloo Pandit, an associate of the Lonkar gang allegedly involved in a ₹5-crore extortion case in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. Investigators said the accused were influenced by the gang's glorified portrayal on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and sought to gain notoriety in the criminal underworld. "They admitted that they had conducted multiple reconnaissance visits to Mumbai prior to the attack to study the geographical layout, security arrangements, and escape routes near the filmmaker's residence," said ADG (law and order) Amitabh Yash.On the night of February 1, the group allegedly used a semi-automatic pistol supplied by the gang to carry out indiscriminate firing at the residence before fleeing the scene.After the incident, the accused frequently changed locations across states, monitoring news coverage and police updates through social and electronic media to evade arrest. Jatin Bhardwaj and Vishal allegedly provided logistical support, safe shelters, and other resources to help the main shooters remain absconding.Officials said all 7 arrested accused will be handed over to Mumbai Police for further legal proceedings. Investigators continued efforts to trace additional members of the Lonkar gang and uncover the broader extortion network allegedly targeting members of the film industry and business community.