Tiger Shroff shooting incident puts celebrity safety in focus

The shooting incident involving actor Tiger Shroff has once again put the focus on celebrity safety in Mumbai. The Film Workers Body the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) on Monday condemned the firing on the Bollywood star, saying that such incidents raise serious concerns about the safety and security of film personalities.

The 36-year-old actor escaped unhurt after gunmen opened fire at his car in Mumbai's Juhu area on Sunday evening. A viral video showed an unidentified person opening fire on the actor's car. Shroff's driver and another driver of an autorickshaw were injured in the incident, according to the police.

"Such acts of violence and intimidation are completely unacceptable and raise serious concerns about the safety and security of personalities associated with the Indian film industry. It is deeply disturbing that this is the second such incident involving a prominent personality from the film industry, following the earlier firing incident involving renowned filmmaker Mr Rohit Shetty. The recurrence of such incidents is a matter of grave concern and calls for immediate, decisive and effective action by the concerned authorities," read a statement issued by FWICE.

The industry body said there should be an impartial and time-bound investigation into the incident involving Shroff "so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice". "We appeal to the Government of Maharashtra and the concerned police authorities to take serious cognizance of these repeated attacks and implement effective measures to ensure a safer and more secure environment for all personalities associated with the film industry," the statement further read.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a viral social media post, but police are yet to verify its authenticity. Three men suspected to be involved in the incident were detained in Rajasthan's Kota from a train coming from Mumbai on Monday, a police official said. This is not the first time Bollywood celebrities have been targeted by the Bishnoi gang in Mumbai. Notable figures such as Salman Khan, Rohit Shetty, and Kapil Sharma have previously been among their key targets.