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Four accused in the Rohit Shetty firing case were remanded to police custody till February 5, while one person was released on notice. Police named gang-linked Shubham Lonkar as wanted, alleging a conspiracy to kill Shetty and use of a procured scooter for the attack.

Mumbai: The four accused arrested in connection with the firing incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence were produced before the Esplanade Court late on Sunday night. The court remanded Swapnil Bandu Sakat (23), Siddharth Deepak Yenpure (19), Samarth Shivsharan Pomaji (19), and Aditya Gyaneshwar Gayaki (19) to police custody till February 5. Physical assualt case has been registered against one of the arrested accused.

Scooter Seller Served Notice, Released

Police said Aman Anand Marote (27), a resident of Karve Nagar in Pune, was served a notice and released. The investigation revealed that Aman had sold a hand Honda Dio scooter (MH 12 FN 2205) to accused Aditya Gayaki around 40–45 days ago for approximately ₹30,000.

Meanwhile, Shubham Lonkar, who is already wanted accused in the Baba Siddique murder case and is allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, has now been declared a wanted accused in the Rohit Shetty firing case as well, according to reliable sources.

Police Claim Conspiracy to Kill Rohit Shetty

According to police, arrested accused Samarth Shivsharan Pomaji, along with wanted accused Shubham Lonkar, allegedly hatched a criminal conspiracy to kill Rohit Shetty. As part of the conspiracy, indiscriminate firing was carried out in the direction of Shetty’s residence with the intention of murdering him. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Shetty’s security guard.

During the probe, investigators found that Samarth Pomaji assisted the main shooter, who is still wanted. Acting on Lonkar’s instructions, Samarth allegedly procured the Honda Dio scooter from co-accused Aditya Gayaki and arranged to hand it over to the shooter at a pre-decided location in Mumbai with the help of other accused.

Financial Support Traced to Wanted Accused

Police further stated that the vehicle used in the crime was arranged using financial assistance provided by Shubham Lonkar, clearly indicating the intention to kill Rohit Shetty. Investigators concluded that despite being fully aware of the criminal plan, Samarth Pomaji actively participated in the conspiracy and played a key role in executing the offence.

At the time of the firing incident, Rohit Shetty was resting on the seventh floor of Shetty Tower, his residential building in Juhu. The incident took place outside the building, following which the Juhu Police registered a case on Sunday and, with the assistance of the Pune Police, arrested the accused on the same day.

Security Guard Details Incident in FIR

As per the FIR, complainant Swapnil Salunke (31), a resident of Kalyan East and a bodyguard of Rohit Shetty, was on duty at Shetty Tower, located at Road No. 10, JVPD, Nutan Laxmi Society, Mehmood Chowk, Juhu, Vile Parle West. On January 1, at around 8 pm, Salunke and another bodyguard, Wahid Aslam Malik (47), were on duty in the building. Two other bodyguards assigned for day duty had already left, while police personnel Ashish Rane was also present in the building.

At the time of the incident, Ashish Rane was having dinner on the sixth floor, while Rohit Shetty was on the seventh floor. At around 12:45 am on Sunday, Salunke and Malik were seated in the lobby near the CCTV monitor when they heard sounds resembling firecrackers.

CCTV Captures Shooter Firing Towards Building

Salunke immediately checked the CCTV footage and noticed a man holding a pistol-like weapon standing near the boundary wall of Shetty Tower on Road No. 10. The man, wearing a black jacket and white trousers, fired towards the building. The guards heard five gunshots.

Salunke, along with Malik and security guard Satyam Pathak, rushed out of the gate and saw the man fleeing at high speed towards Pushpa Park. Salunke immediately alerted police personnel Ashish Rane, who rushed to the spot, and informed the Juhu Police, seeking immediate assistance.

Police sources said that the second-hand scooter purchased by accused Aditya was brought to Mumbai and left here about ten days ago by co-accused Samarth Pomaji and Siddharth Yenpure.

According to the investigation, the unknown shooter parked the scooter around 200 metres away from Rohit Shetty’s residence at about 12:40 am and walked to the spot. He then fired five rounds towards the first floor of Shetty’s building before fleeing.

Police further said that after the firing, the unidentified shooter approached an autorickshaw driver and asked whether he would go to Kalyan. When the driver replied that Kalyan was too far, the shooter asked for the nearest railway station. The rickshaw driver told him that Vile Parle station was the closest.

Based on this, police suspect that the shooter returned to the scooter, rode towards Vile Parle West, abandoned the vehicle near King’s International Hotel close to Vile Parle West railway station, and escaped by train.

The police have seized the scooter from near King’s International Hotel in Vile Parle West and further investigation is underway.

In his complaint, Salunke stated that the unidentified man fired at Shetty Tower with the intention of killing Rohit Shetty. Based on this complaint, the Juhu Police registered a case and initiated further investigation.

Unknown Shooter is still at large in Rohit Shetty Firing Case.

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