An unidentified man who gained unauthorised access to a residential complex in Mumbai’s Pali Hill locality, home to actors Kriti Sanon and Javed Jaffrey, has been booked for allegedly damaging a lift using heavy stones and misbehaving on CCTV, prompting a police investigation into a possible security breach. The Khar police on Wednesday said the suspect had been traced and was later found to be admitted to a hospital.
The incident took place during the early hours of 19 June at Sandhu Palace, a high-rise building in Bandra West that houses several Bollywood celebrities. According to police officials and private security personnel at the premises, the man entered the complex in a yellow vehicle shortly after 1 am, claiming he was visiting a flat on the 17th floor.
He was allowed inside after security confirmed with a resident that guests were permitted direct entry. The man was initially told to park in Basement 2 but stopped in Basement 1 before being redirected by staff. He then handed over his car keys to a guard and said he needed to use the washroom.
Upon returning, he said he intended to visit a flat on the 14th floor. When the guard attempted to confirm with the resident via intercom and received no response, the man quickly changed his statement, now claiming he was headed to the 17th floor.
Security personnel, suspicious of the shifting narrative, confronted the man and escorted him off the premises. He left without further incident, but the next morning, building staff discovered that the lift had been rendered inoperative.
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Review of CCTV footage revealed the man had placed large stones inside the lift cabin and made lewd gestures towards the surveillance camera, suggesting the act was deliberate. The damage was reportedly inflicted while the man was alone in the basement area, under the pretext of using the lavatory.
Mumbai Police traced the vehicle registration number and identified the individual. While initial findings pointed to erratic behaviour possibly stemming from mental instability, senior officers later stated that the man was not mentally unwell, as previously suspected.
“The preliminary investigation into the case revealed that the man wasn’t mentally unwell,” a police officer confirmed. The individual is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital and has not yet been interrogated.
The Khar police have registered a case under Sections 324(2) and 324(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), both relating to voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous means.
The breach has raised questions over residential security at celebrity complexes in Mumbai, particularly those which allow entry on verbal authorisation alone.
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