No breakthrough in Roshan case yet

The Police have still been unable to make any headway in the case of assault on actor-turned director Rakesh Roshan, though senior police officers claimed on January 23, that they had succeeded in identifying the shooters.

Roshan was shot at by two gunmen outside his office near Mayur Building Santa Cruz (E) when he was seated in his Mercedez Benz last Friday (January 21) evening.

Th police said the identity of the shooters prepared by experts on the basis of the descriptions given by Roshan, indicated that the shooters were already on police records. The cops strongly suspect they were involved in shootings earlier and have strong clues about their identities. The shooters are described as youths in the age group of 21-24 and dark-complexioned.

Police also believe the assailants are holed up somewhere in Mumbai. The police said Roshan had not informed them despite receiving threats. Also, they said, the threats were made at least a couple of weeks before the shoot-out. That would have helped trace the callers, police said.

Roshan had received threats even earlier and was provided security cover between August 1997 and February 1998. The security cover was lifted on his request. The police have provided security to Roshan and his family members. Son Hrithik was unable to attend the SCREEN Videocon Awards function on January 23, because the cops had advised him not to.

According to doctors who operated on Rakesh Roshan, he was lucky to survive because the bullet narrowly missed his heart and lungs. Explaining the bullet’s trajectory, Dr Sharad Panday, consultant cardiac surgeon at Nanavati Hospital told the paper the bullet first went through his arm and then entered his chest region. When the patient was brought in, he was immediately taken to the vacant operation theatre for surgery. Roshan underwent several tests to locate the bullet lodged in his chest. The bullet was lodged just above the heart and lungs, thus narrowly missed his vital organs. l