Mumbai police recovers weapon used in firing at Rohit Shetty's residence

Mumbai: The Mumbai police's crime branch has recovered the weapon used in firing at filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence here from the shooter, officials said on Wednesday.

The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the crime branch so far arrested 12 accused, including shooter Deepak Sharma, in connection with the incident.

The shooter had fired five bullets at Shetty's building located in the upscale Juhu area in the early hours of February 1 before fleeing from the spot.

"The weapon used in firing gunshots has been recovered from the shooter and was sent to a forensic science laboratory for a ballistic test to confirm its use in the crime," an official said.

All the accused persons arrested in the crime were working on the instructions of Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Shubham Lonkar, the police have said.

According to the investigators, the crime was carried out with the intent to cause harm to the filmmaker and to instil fear and supremacy.

Lonkar, who had claimed responsibility for the incident in a social media post, is also wanted in the NCP leader Baba Siddique murder case and the firing at Bollywood actor Salman Khan's residence in Bandra.

The Mumbai police have invoked stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) sections against the accused, the official said.