Mumbai, February 21: In a major development in the ongoing probe into threats targeting Bollywood personalities, the Mumbai Crime Branch has issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Harichandra, alias Harry Boxer, a suspected member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in connection with an extortion threat made to actor Ranveer Singh.
According to officials, Ranveer Singh received a threatening WhatsApp voice note on his manager's phone number. The sender identified himself as Harry Boxer and demanded a ransom of Rs 20 crore.
Police confirmed that the voice note was sent using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to conceal the sender's network identity and location. The threatening audio clip has been sent to Punjab and Haryana for verification, an official confirmed.
The Mumbai Police have recorded the statement of Ranveer Singh's manager as part of the investigation. Authorities earlier confirmed a series of high-profile threats targeting actors Ranveer Singh and Aayush Sharma, with investigators suspecting links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The developments come amid a broader probe into the January 31, 2024, firing incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence in Juhu. Police believe the threats may be part of a coordinated intimidation campaign targeting prominent figures in the film industry. The Bishnoi gang had previously claimed responsibility for the firing through a social media post, officials said.
On February 17, five accused arrested in the Rohit Shetty firing case were produced before the MCOCA court after their police custody expired. The court remanded all five to police custody until February 23. The accused- Aditya Gaikki, Siddharth Yenpure, Samarth Pomaji, Swapnil Sakat and Asaram Fasale- were arrested from Pune. In court, Swapnil Sakat alleged that police coerced his statement and forced him to sign documents.
According to Mumbai Police sources, four individuals were involved in the Rohit Shetty firing case: Deepak Sharma, Sunny, Sonu, and one fugitive.
Deepak allegedly fired the shots while the others were present nearby. Sonu had lived in Kalyan for two years and recently returned to his village in Agra, where he was involved in supplying arms and was in contact with the other accused.
Sources said Deepak Sharma allegedly carried out the firing, while the other accused were not present at the exact spot during the shooting but were in the vicinity at the time of the incident.
Mumbai Police's investigation into the Rohit Shetty house firing case has led to the arrest of 12 accused, including the main shooter, Deepak Sharma. The Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch is handling the case, with sections of the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) invoked.
Further inquiries are underway. (ANI)
