Actor Karan Veer Mehra was among those present near the spot when actor Tiger Shroff's car came under fire in Mumbai's Juhu area on Sunday evening. Mehra, whose car was just behind Tiger's vehicle, recalled the frightening moments in an interview, saying he saw blood spots after reaching the scene.
The Bigg Boss 18 winner spoke to NDTV around an hour after the incident. He said he learnt that Tiger's driver had been shot and expressed relief that the actor was safe, while hoping for the driver's recovery.
"My car was right behind 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 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," he said.
Mehra, who regularly plays football with Tiger in Juhu, said he did not see the attackers. He recalled hearing gunshots but initially thought they might be connected to fireworks being set off nearby.
"My car was a little behind, and there were a lot of people who were taking photographs. We just heard some gunshots and people shouting that somebody had fired because there were also people celebrating with fireworks. So, we thought it was something to do with that," he added.
The attackers, who were reportedly riding a motorcycle, fired three to four rounds at Tiger's car. Mumbai Police said the actor's driver, Firdaus, sustained injuries to his left hand and was taken to hospital. Ballistic reports reportedly indicated that the shots were fired from close range.
"It's the fans standing outside who started shouting. There were some real gunshots, and it stopped the fireworks. That's when the security got alerted, and we called up the cops. By that time, Tiger had already left with his driver," he added.
Mehra also spoke about his long association with Tiger and said the incident had left him shaken.
"I've known Tiger for the longest, and he's one of the best people to know and somebody who keeps to his work and is always very respectful to everybody. It's very sad to see this happen to him, and I know his family also very well. It's actually traumatising for me also to see Tiger and his family go through this," he said.
Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Claims Responsibility
Meanwhile, a man claiming to represent the Lawrence Bishnoi gang allegedly took responsibility for the attack in an audio clip. The claim has not been independently verified.
"I am Anil Pandit, the younger brother of Lawrence Bishnoi. My older brother, Harman Sandhu, and I take responsibility for whatever happened to Tiger Shroff. We tried to reason with him, but he did not understand," a man claimed in an audio clip.
The man also issued a threat against people working in the film industry without aligning with the group or those working with Salman Khan.
"If anyone tries to work in the industry without aligning with us, or works with Salman Khan, we will kill them. This is our last warning," he added.
Police teams are investigating the incident and examining CCTV footage to identify the attackers. The investigation is ongoing.
