How police handle security in Mumbai’s celebrity-studded Zone 9

The incident was shocking on many counts, including the fact that Saif’s house is located in Mumbai Police’s Zone 9. The plush zone, which stretches from Andheri to Bandra, has more A-lister residents per square feet than anywhere else in the country — making it the virtual “Beverly Hills” of India.

Among Bollywood royalty who reside in Zone 9 are Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Saif and his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan.

While residences owned by Shah Rukh — the iconic Mannat — and Salman — the famous Galaxy Apartment — are practically fortresses, besides being constantly swarmed by fans and the paparazzi, the security in Saif’s building appeared to be shockingly lax during the incident.

To a question on the “deteriorating” law and order situation in Zone 9, Dikshit Gedam, Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), told The Indian Express, “One incident does not define the safety of my zone.”

Saif Ali Khan. (Source: File)

However, two other high-profile incidents over the past year have added to the troubles of Bandra Police. On April 14, 2024, two members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang fired six rounds outside Salman’s residence and fled. The actor was already under police security due to threats from the gang.

Reportedly furious over one of the bullets entering his house, Salman recently made a host of security upgrades, including installing bullet-proof glass over his balcony and advanced CCTV cameras to keep a check on suspicious movements.

The second breach took place on October 12, 2024, when Baba Siddique, a former minister and Bandra resident, was shot dead outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East. The police said the accused had conducted a recce outside the politician’s Bandra West residence before the shooting.

Even as the Saif incident has added to the Bandra Police’s headache, some personnel pointed to the “absolute lack of security measures” in the actor’s building — from barely any CCTV cameras on the premises or at his residence, to the minimal presence of security guards and the “easily scalable” six-foot boundary wall.

“Unless one employs a specialised security agency, it is hardly a secret that the average security guard is not just poorly paid but also does two shifts a day to make a living. Which is why most of them sleep during night shifts. In Saif’s case too, the security guard was asleep when the accused entered the building,” said a senior officer, adding that for a high-profile building where many Bollywood A-listers reside, “the lack of security was shocking”.

Soon after the incident, the building hired the services of Ace Security, a company run by actor Ronit Roy.

However, officers admit that there are challenges when it comes to policing a “high-profile” zone — the biggest being how “quickly” matters escalate.

“One doesn’t know who is connected to whom. There are times when people come to us with civil and property disputes. We have to entertain them for hours at times, knowing well that there is nothing that we can do,” an officer said.

“A lot of time and energy is spent in fire-fighting,” another former DCP said. “One needs some amount of independence to do good professional work. Here most of our time is spent trying to catch up.”

A senior officer earlier posted in Zone 9 says, “When it comes to Bandra, we coordinate with the staff of actors, especially on days like their birthdays, when they come out to greet their fans. For example, we send a police vehicle when Amitabh comes to wave to fans around 5 pm on Sundays or when Shah Rukh greets the crowds on his birthday… Though we try to ensure no untoward incident happens, pickpockets seize these moments since fans are preoccupied by the stars.”