Days after attack on actor Saif Ali Khan, questions that remain unanswered

The incident raises the following questions:

Question 1: In emergencies like this, among the first things that should have been done was to dial the 100 number for the police control room, alert the police and call for an ambulance. Why was this not done? Why was the building security not alerted?

Question 2: Khan stays in a heavily guarded 12-storey apartment, out of which he owns the quadruplex on the top floors. So, how did the building security not notice a stranger entering the building at 2 am? The security failed to notice the intruder leaving the building after the incident as well. How is that possible? Apart from security guards, there is electronic surveillance in almost every building in Mumbai. CCTVs are installed everywhere. In many societies, there are mobile app-based recording systems of every individual entering the society. Does this mean that the intruder knew how to bypass the surveillance system? If yes, it would mean that he might have been familiar with the security apparatus.

Kareena Kapoor Khan visits Lilavati Hospital in Bandra after her husband Saif Ali Khan was attacked on Thursday morning. (Express Photo: Ganesh Shirshekar)

Question 3: How did the intruder know which one of the four floors he had to enter and where to go? Apart from close family members and house staff, not many people would be aware of the floor Khan and his family stay on. This also gives rise to a suspicion that perhaps the intruder knew or was familiar with the house’s layout.

Question 4: If the intruder really was a thief, then why did he not attempt to steal anything? Khan’s wife actor Kareena has reportedly told the police that there was jewellery and valuables kept in the open in the house, but they were left untouched. And, if he planned to extort money by taking Khan’s son — he was moving towards his youngest son’s room when the alarm was raised — as hostage, then what happened afterwards rings anomalous. It indicates he did not come prepared for a robbery which has been alleged.

Question 5: The nature of the injuries sustained by Khan indicates that these are not injuries from an intruder or thief trying to defend himself or attempting to flee. The injuries are serious and seem to be inflicted in anger or with intent. A thief or intruder who has been exposed will, in all probabilities, stab once or twice to flee. Such injuries are of a different nature and not like the ones Khan sustained.

Question 6: Despite there being at least 10 adults in the house, how did the intruder manage to flee, especially after brutally attacking Khan? Since the intruder was outmanned, he could have been overpowered and captured. According to the police, all those present in the house turned their attention to the injured Khan. In that commotion, the intruder allegedly escaped from the room he was locked in. Even if that is what happened, why weren’t the building security alerted? And how did the intruder exit the building without being noticed or stopped by the watchmen of the building?

Question 7: Why didn’t those present in the house rush Khan to the hospital? The Khans reportedly have several cars and drivers, so why was he rushed to the hospital in an autorickshaw? There is confusion even on who accompanied Khan to the hospital. As per some reports, it was his eldest son Ibrahim, who lives elsewhere, while others claim it was seven-year-old Taimur who travelled with Khan in the autorickshaw.

The Mumbai Police will have to find answers to these questions at the earliest so that it becomes clear what took place that night. A water-tight case will have to be built up to ensure conviction of the guilty.

Investigations So Far

From what we have seen so far, the alleged intruder was a combination of a dumb thief and an intelligent intruder. He was dumb enough to be ill-prepared for stealing anything and intelligent enough to get in and out of the house like a ghost. It means that the thief knew the layout of Khan’s house extremely well and he was also familiar with the locality. He could get in and out of the area without detection.

In the near-four days after the incident, the Mumbai Police along with the Mumbai Crime Branch, Thane Police, Navi Mumbai and Railway Police have made more than 60 teams and have fanned out across the length and breadth of the country. There are reports that the Railway Police have detained one suspect in Chhattisgarh, while the Thane Police have detained another suspect, reportedly of Bangladeshi origin, hiding in the Hiranandani Estate who is being questioned.

What next?

As the police focus on unravelling the case, the incident has once again brought to light the glaring lapses in security in our high-profile housing societies. Despite installing high-tech security gadgets and human surveillance, crimes are increasing and we, the citizens of Mumbai, continue to be vulnerable. Here are a few safety solutions to keep in mind:

• The government and police will have to ensure that all societies, localities have adequate CCTVs installed. These must be functional at all times.
• Societies or clusters should be encouraged to have a stand-by doctor and an ambulance in their area, so that the golden hour of medical treatment is not lost.
• Wealthy individuals and high-profile societies should be encouraged to have their own private Quick Response Teams (QRT) who are trained to handle any crisis or emergency before the police and other emergency services arrive.
• High-profile individuals and VIPs should be encouraged to have their own trained security personnel.
• Emergency numbers of the police, fire brigade, ambulances and other first responders should be displayed prominently in every society.

The writer is the Director General of Police (DGP) (Retired), Maharashtra, former police commissioner of Mumbai & ex-chief of the elite Mumbai Crime Branch. He is also an award-winning author