Mumbai: In the ongoing investigation into the Rohit Shetty house‑firing case, the 14th accused, Pradeep Sharma alias Guddu or Golu Pandit, was produced before a sessions court here and remanded to police custody till April 1, 2026. Pradeep Sharma, a key figure linked to the Shubham Lonkar‑linked gang, was traced and arrested from Agra in Uttar Pradesh in a joint operation by the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF). Police allege that he played a role in the conspiracy behind the attack on the filmmaker’s Juhu residence, “Shetty Tower,” on the night of February 1–2, 2026.
Advocate Dilip Shukla, representing the accused, told the court that Pradeep Sharma alias Golu Pandit is the 14th person to be arrested in the case. He clarified that the accused was taken into custody the previous day and that his mother had been informed of the arrest, as confirmed by the investigating officer before the bench. The court examined the arrest documents and the charge‑sheet‑related material and recorded that it was satisfied with the legality of the arrest, leaving no room for the defence to contest the legality of detention at that stage.
Shukla, however, argued against the grant of further police custody, contending that his client is already on bail in other matters and emphasizing that those cases have no direct connection with the Rohit Shetty firing incident. He urged the court to avoid prolonging police custody given the accused’s prior bail status in unrelated matters. Despite this objection, the prosecution pressed for time to conduct further interrogation and record statements, after which the court extended police custody of Pradeep Sharma till April 1, allowing investigators more time to build the case against him and other alleged members of the Lonkar‑linked gang.
