Mumbai’s crime scene just got hotter with fresh twists in the brazen firing incident at Bollywood director Rohit Shetty’s residence. In a swift operation, the Mumbai Crime Branch apprehended shooter Deepak Chandra from Rajasthan alongside five others on Monday morning. But the dragnet widened further as police nabbed Vishnu Kushwaha from Agra, pushing the total arrests to 12 in this high-profile case.
Court proceedings took center stage today when the Crime Branch paraded six key accused before a magistrate, securing police custody until February 25. The suspects include Jatin Ramesh Bhardwaj (22), Sonu Kumar (20), Deepak Ramesh Chandra (25), Vishal Thakur (19), Sunny Kumar Rakesh Kumar (23), and Ritik Vinod Singh Yadav (24). Investigators suspect these individuals operated under directives from a larger syndicate, pointing to organized crime links.
Interrogations have yielded crucial confessions. Deepak Chandra, the primary shooter, fled the scene post-attack, aided by accomplices Sonu Kumar and Sunny Kumar who were fully aware of the plan. The trio executed the firing, while the remaining three provided logistical support without prior knowledge of the gunfire itself.
Deepak’s revelations paint a detailed escape route. Jatin Bhardwaj, his cousin, loaned him 1,500 rupees for travel. Post-incident, Deepak and Sonu holed up at a factory in Agra where Ritik works as supervisor, later moving to Vishal’s place in Noida. This trail underscores a web of personal ties exploited for cover.
Defense lawyer Dilip Shukla mounted a fierce argument in court, insisting that Ritik, Vishal, and Sonu bear no direct culpability. ‘Police lack concrete evidence linking them to the shooting,’ he told reporters. ‘They were merely friends offering shelter, mistaking it for a vacation stay.’ The court acknowledged these points, directing investigators to probe deeper into these angles as the case unfolds.
With remands in place, expect more disclosures from this audacious attack that has Bollywood on edge. The Crime Branch vows to dismantle any underlying gang networks, ensuring justice prevails amid the glamour and grit of Mumbai’s underbelly.