SRK’s birthday: 13 phones reported stolen as fans gather outside Mannat

Fans were beaten up by Mumbai Police personnel near Shah Rukh Khan’s house in Bandra. Vignesh Krishnamoorthy

At least 13 cellphones belonging to the fans who had gathered at Bandra to wish actor Shah Rukh Khan on his birthday were stolen early on Thursday. Several hundred people gathered outside Khan’s home, Mannat, at Bandstand, after midnight on Thursday, cutting cakes and waiting for his arrival. The police said 26-year-old Ankit Sahu, from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, was among those who had come with his friends to get a glimpse of the star when his phone  was stolen.

Apart from Sahu, at least 12 others also reported about their cellphones being stolen by pickpockets who took advantage of the crowd.

So far, 13 different complaints of cellphone thefts have been registered at the Bandra police station. On Thursday, Malishka Mendonsa, a radio jockey at Red FM, had tweeted a warning to fans outside Mannat asking them to be careful of their belongings as pickpockets were roaming among the crowd.