A striking development has emerged on Wednesday, almost two-and-a-half days after several bullets were fired on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. Several reports have surfaced, which suggest that the assailants’ original target was not Shroff, but actor Salman Khan. Sources within the entertainment industry told the media that the accused trio confessed before Mumbai Police that they had conducted a recce of Khan’s residence in Bandra, and tracked his movements before abandoning the plan owing to his heightened security.

The accused then allegedly shifted their attention towards Tiger Shroff, whom they believed would be easier to target due to his comparatively lighter security arrangement.

Tiger Shroff (Left) and Anil Pandit (Right)

Who else was on radar? Attackers name Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan too

During a 16-hour road journey from Kota to Mumbai, the accused trio revealed that Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan had been among their intended targets. The report claimed that they allegedly considered Khan difficult to attack due to the security surrounding him.

The accused subsequently focused on Tiger Shroff after allegedly learning that the actor regularly used to visit a football ground in Mumbai’s Juhu. The investigating police personnel are also delving into reports that the accused visited the same ground on October 11, almost a week before the firing incident, but could not find Shroff there.

Meanwhile, a separate report by Dainik Bhaskar suggested that Amitabh Bachchan was also on the attackers’ hit list. The accused reportedly claimed to have conducted a recce outside the residences of Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan.

However, the aforementioned claims remain allegations reported by the media houses, and a probe into the case is still in progress.

Accused brought to Mumbai for interrogation

The accused trio was reportedly brought to Mumbai from Kota at around 4 am on October 21 after they were detained. They were likely to undergo medical examinations and were later produced before a court.

Mumbai Police, meanwhile, are expected to seek further custody to question the accused about the alleged plot, identify the suspected mastermind and ascertain whether Anil Pandit, who claimed responsibility for the attack, and is an aide of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, played any role.

Anup Jalota pleads with Salman Khan to apologise

Meanwhile, veteran bhajan singer Anup Jalota has pleaded with Salman Khan to apologise to the Bishnoi community, arguing that such a step could help ease tensions. In an interaction with news agency IANS, Jalota said, “There is only one way to stop all this. Salman Khan should apologise to the Bishnoi community.”

He went on to say that the community’s sentiments had been hurt and suggested that the continuing despite could also inflict harm on people who work with the actor and his kin.

Jalota further questioned why an apology could not be considered as a way to bring the case to an end.