Lucknow, April 17
A joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Thursday arrested a wanted accused in connection with the firing incident at filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence in Mumbai.
The accused, identified as Pradeep Kumar, also known as Gaath, was apprehended from the Chhadami Mattha area on the Agra Etah road under the Bah police station limits at around 3.56 pm. Police said he was allegedly involved in the firing that took place at Shetty Tower in Mumbai’s Juhu area on the night of February 1, 2026.
According to officials, the attack was carried out at the direction of the Shubham Lonkar gang with the intention of extorting money and creating fear within the film industry and among the public. The arrest followed technical analysis and intelligence inputs shared between the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Uttar Pradesh STF.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Rakesh of the STF field unit in Agra. During interrogation, the accused, a resident of Ashok Nagar in Agra, said he was influenced by the presence of the Lonkar gang on social media platforms. He admitted to his role in the incident along with associates identified as Sunny, Deepu, and Sonu, with the aim of establishing dominance.
Mumbai Police have registered a case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Arms Act, the Maharashtra Police Act, and the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act. Police said Pradeep Kumar is among the latest to be arrested in the case. Earlier, eight other accused, including Pradeep Sharma, also known as Golu, Deepak, and Vishnu Kushwaha, had been arrested in related operations.
Following his arrest, the accused was handed over to the Mumbai Police team at the Bah police station. Officials said the Crime Branch will seek transit remand and proceed with further legal action. The arrest is expected to aid the ongoing investigation and help authorities track other individuals linked to the incident.
