Crypto funds and bank accounts used in attack on Bollywood actor, Mumbai police allege

What Happened

Investigators have traced funds used in the recent shooting attack on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff to a local public bank account linked with an overseas cryptocurrency operation. Special Judge S R Navander remanded an arrested suspect, Suneha Pandit, to police custody until November 16. Suneha is the 13th person arrested in connection with the case. She was apprehended in Karnal, Haryana, and brought to Mumbai on transit remand.

Investigation and Money Trail

Police stated that Suneha's phone number was tied to a State Bank of India account registered under the name of her brother-in-law, Anil Pandit, who is identified as a main accused and syndicate leader. According to the prosecution, Abhishek, another main accused and Anil's brother, operated a crypto wallet linked to a Cambodian phone number through a VPN set in Denmark to mask his location. Investigators allege this wallet held over Rs 47.26 lakh in suspected extortion money between August 2022 and October 2026. From this source, Rs 30,000 was transferred to the local SBI account and given to an accused named Hrithik Kumar, also known as Roshan, to purchase a getaway motorcycle and pay for a lodge used by the suspects.

Court Proceedings and Defence

Special public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves told the court that transactions from this account occurred right up to the day of the incident, and argued that Suneha, a homemaker with no independent income, was fully aware of the conspiracy. Defence lawyer Ajinkya Mirgal countered that the bank account was merely a family account and that funds within it had no proven connection to the crime. Mirgal claimed that police previously admitted the account was operated by individuals based overseas, meaning Suneha could not be held responsible for its use.

Context

High-profile criminal investigations in India frequently uncover complex financial trails involving digital assets and multi-state operations. Authorities often examine how local bank accounts and digital wallets are utilized to finance logistics like travel and lodging for organized crime syndicates.