Mobile phones of 17 Shah Rukh Khan fans stolen as hundreds gather outside his Mumbai home

Thieves stole the mobile phones of at least 17 Shah Rukh Khan fans who were among hundreds of people gathered to wish the Bollywood actor on his 58th birthday outside his home in suburban Bandra, the police said on Friday.

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday when a sea of SRK fans was trying to catch a glimpse of the actor on his birthday outside his home ‘Mannat’, an official said.

The Bandra police registered two separate offences against unidentified persons in this connection on Thursday, he said.

The first complaint was filed by a 23-year-old photographer from a national newspaper, the official said. As per his complaint, he came to Bandra Bandstand with friends and joined the crowd outside Mannat. Around 12.30 am, the complainant realised his mobile phone, which he had kept in his pocket, was missing, the official said.

The photographer soon learnt that many others had also lost their phones, the official said. He went to Bandra police station to report the theft. More fans of the actor then came to lodge similar complaints. The police clubbed the complaints and registered an FIR (first information report) for theft against unidentified persons, the official said.

Another FIR was registered on the complaint of a 24-year-old man, who lives in Parel of Central Mumbai, the police said. In all, the police have been informed about the theft of the mobile phones of 17 fans.

Every year, hundreds of fans turn up outside the Shah Rukh Khan’s bungalow Mannat to wish him on his birthday on November 2. The actor comes out of his home to thank his fans, the official said, adding a huge security deployment is maintained outside Mannat to avoid any untoward incidents.

Despite the security arrangements, thieves took advantage of the crowd and stole the phones, the official said.