Five of the accused arrested in the firing incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s home were produced before the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court on Tuesday. One of the accused alleged before the court that the police had coerced his statement and asked him to sign. The police custody for the five accused was expanded till February 23.
5 accused in Rohit Shetty house firing to remain in custody
According to ANI, the five accused arrested in the firing case outside Rohit’s home were produced at the MCOCA court on Tuesday after their police custody had expired. The court remanded all five accused, Aditya Gaikki, Siddharth Yenpure, Samarth Pomaji, Swapnil Sakat, and Asaram Fasale, in police custody till February 23. The five who were produced in court today were arrested in Pune. Swapnil told the court that the police coerced his statement and made him sign it.
Why Mumbai police invoked the MCOCA
The Mumbai police arrested four of the suspects on February 1, shortly after four rounds were fired outside Rohit’s residence. A fifth accused was arrested on February 5 and produced before the court with the other accused. They were first remanded to police custody till February 11, then until February 17.
On February 11, the Mumbai police invoked sections of MCOCA as they suspect an organised crime network is behind the attack. “They (police) said in the court that the weapon recovered from accused number one, Sakat, was given to him by Praveen Lonkar, who is involved in the Baba Siddique murder case and has been in jail for one and a half years. We stated that he has been in jail for a year and a half. When and how did he get the weapon?” said defence lawyer Ajinkya Mirgal.
The police also informed the court that a social media post had claimed responsibility for the incident. The accused allegedly communicated via the Signal app to maintain secrecy. The police suspected the case is also linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang via the accused weapon supplier, Asaram Fasle.
Other arrests made in the firing case
On Monday, the Mumbai police arrested the suspected shooter who fired gunshots at Rohit’s house and six others from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in a multi-state operation. Investigators emphasised that the crime was carried out by Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Shubham Lonkar with the intent to cause harm to the filmmaker and to instil fear and supremacy, according to PTI.
A Mumbai court remanded the accused persons to police custody till February 25. With the latest arrests, the Mumbai police have nabbed 12 persons in connection with the case, while the main accused, Shubham Lonkar, remains at large, a senior police officer said.