Mumbai Police Unleash MCOCA Against Six in Rohit Shetty House Firing Case

The air in Mumbai has certainly been thick with tension lately, especially for those in the film industry. And now, in a significant move, the Mumbai Crime Branch has decided to pull out a heavy-hitter from its legal arsenal: the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). This formidable law has been invoked against six individuals in connection with that rather alarming firing incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s office in Bandra. It's quite a serious development, actually, signaling a very firm stance from the authorities.

You might recall the incident itself, which occurred on October 14 last year. Two individuals, riding a motorcycle, brazenly fired two rounds right outside Shetty's office. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the message was clear: this was an act of pure intimidation. What really sent shivers down spines was when Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of the notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, publicly claimed responsibility for the attack. He even went so far as to make an extortion demand from the celebrated director. It's a classic move from these organized crime groups, preying on high-profile figures.

So, why MCOCA? Well, it's not a law that gets invoked lightly. The police use it when they're dealing with crimes committed by an "organized crime syndicate" – groups that operate with the express purpose of gaining some sort of financial benefit or undue advantage through illegal means. Applying MCOCA makes the legal battle significantly tougher for the accused. For one, securing bail becomes an incredibly uphill struggle, and the police gain more leeway for longer detention periods. It essentially allows investigators to dismantle the syndicate from the ground up, rather than just treating it as an isolated crime.

Among the six accused now facing the MCOCA hammer are Vikas Singh, who is alleged to have been directly involved in the firing, and Subhash Chandra, who was reportedly the driver. Then there's Sonu Subhash Singh, believed to have acted as an informer, passing on crucial details. The investigation also revealed two other individuals who provided crucial logistical support, like shelter, helping the perpetrators evade immediate capture. And, of course, a sixth accused is also implicated in this coordinated effort. It truly underscores how many layers are involved in these criminal operations.

Interestingly, this isn't an isolated incident or the first time the Bishnoi gang has targeted a prominent Bollywood figure. We've seen similar patterns before, notably with the firing incident outside Salman Khan's residence earlier this year, where the same gang claimed responsibility, and MCOCA was subsequently invoked there too. It paints a rather disturbing picture of organized crime attempting to flex its muscle within the entertainment capital. The police, by invoking MCOCA in these cases, are essentially sending a very clear message: such blatant acts of intimidation and extortion by organized crime syndicates will be met with the full force of the law, ensuring they can't operate with impunity. It’s a necessary step, really, to maintain law and order and protect those who contribute so much to our culture.