Mumbai Court Extends Police Custody for Accused in Rohit Shetty Firing Incident
Five individuals arrested in connection with the firing at filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence were produced before the MCOCA court today after their police custody expired. The court has remanded all five accused in police custody until February 23, as the investigation continues to unfold.
Details of the Arrests and Court Proceedings
The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested Aditya Gaikki, Siddharth Yenpure, Samarth Pomaji, Swapnil Sakat, and Asaram Fasale from Pune. They were presented before the court following the expiration of their custody. During the hearing, Swapnil Sakat, one of the accused, alleged that the police coerced his statement and pressured him to sign documents, raising concerns about the investigation's conduct.
According to Mumbai Police sources, four individuals were directly involved in the Rohit Shetty firing case: Deepak Sharma, Sunny, Sonu, and one fugitive who remains at large. Deepak Sharma is alleged to have fired the shots, while the others were present nearby at the time of the incident. Sonu had previously lived in Kalyan for two years and recently returned to his village in Agra, where he was involved in arms supply and maintained contact with the other accused.
Expanded Investigation and Additional Arrests
The Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch is handling the case, with sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) invoked. Mumbai DCP Crime Raj Tilak Roushan provided an update, stating that the incident occurred on February 1 at Rohit Shetty's residence in Juhu. An FIR was registered at the Juhu Police Station under sections 126/26 and later transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation.
Initially, the Anti-Extortion Cell arrested five accused. With the assistance of Technical Analysis, Human Intelligence, Haryana STF, and UP STF, seven more individuals were apprehended, bringing the total number of arrests to 12. The main shooter, Deepak Sharma, is among those arrested. The accused had varying roles in the crime and coordinated their actions using different communication apps.
In a separate development, the Mumbai court sent six accused arrested from Rajasthan to police remand until February 25. These individuals had been on the run for 16 days across different states following the incident. The weapon used in the shooting has not yet been recovered, adding complexity to the case.
Legal Arguments and Industry Response
The police sought a 15-day custodial remand for the accused in court, presenting evidence through graphics of the charges. Lawyers for the accused argued that some individuals, such as Vishal, Hrithik, and Jatin, were not present at the scene during the incident. They claimed these individuals were charged solely because they paid for a rickshaw and had no knowledge of the firing.
Following the incident, the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the state government to intervene. The association called for a swift investigation and appropriate security measures to protect industry professionals.
Further investigation into the case is ongoing, with the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch leading the efforts. The case highlights ongoing concerns about organized crime and security in the entertainment industry.
