Podcast Summary: The Story — "London Falling Part 2: The Truth"

Date: April 12, 2026
Host: Gabriel Pogrent (The Times)
Guest: Patrick Radden Keefe (Author, investigative journalist)
Theme: Investigating the death of Zach Brettler, failures of the Metropolitan Police, and uncovering deeper truths behind the case as revealed in the book London Falling.

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the unresolved questions surrounding the death of 19-year-old Zach Brettler, who died after falling from a balcony in London in 2019. Building on Patrick Radden Keefe’s investigative reporting and Gabriel Pogrent’s follow-up work in The Sunday Times, the discussion explores substantial evidence mishandled by the police, possible involvement of organized crime, and the lasting impact on Zach’s family. The episode aims to lay bare both the personal and institutional failures that have obstructed justice and transparency in the case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Revisiting the Brettler Case: Journalistic Inquiry

[01:05] Gabriel Pogrent:

• Recaps the suspicious circumstances of Zach Brettler’s death and the initial police investigation, which concluded suicide without thoroughly scrutinizing the two men present (Akbar Shamji and "Indian Dave").
• Details Pogrent’s own involvement after Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article:

  “Unlike Patrick, I'm permanently based here in the UK... Would you like me to see if I can develop some of the lines of inquiry established in Patrick's piece?”

• Describes coming into possession of an Excel spreadsheet from the Metropolitan Police, containing technical data (vehicle movements) which the police did not analyze.

The Black Box: Crucial Evidence Overlooked

[05:55] Gabriel Pogrent:

• The spreadsheet contained tracking data for the car Akbar Shamji drove on the night of Zach’s death.
• Analysis revealed Shamji’s account was “totally false” — he did not go straight home, but instead drove erratically, kept contacting “Indian Dave,” and returned to the apartment just as Zach jumped.
• Police failed to question Shamji on these discrepancies;

  “He, at minimum, misled law enforcement, at worst, deliberately deceived them in order to minimize his role.”

Heated Knives and Unexplained Evidence

[10:25] Patrick Radden Keefe:

• Praises the investigative work by journalists that the police failed to do, despite having access to the evidence.
• Focuses on the suspicious text message from Shamji:

  “He said to this guy… he wasn’t able to meet up, and he said, ‘I'm heating up knives and clearing up blood.’”

• Shamji’s explanations at inquest were “almost comical,” including:

  “When I said, I'm clearing up blood, I didn't mean... blood, as in out of your vein. He said, blood is like a way of saying, bro.”

• Crucially, Zach’s last internet search was “what to do with skin burns,” suggesting intimidation involving a heated knife — a technique confirmed by associates of “Indian Dave.”

The Role of “Indian Dave” — Informant Allegations

[17:05] Gabriel Pogrent & [18:20] Patrick Radden Keefe:

• Discusses police incuriosity about "Indian Dave" (Verinder Sharma) and the wider underworld context.
• Former police detective Dave McKelvey indicates “Indian Dave” was known as a prolific police informant, although later tries to walk this back, sowing doubt about his direct involvement but not dismissing the strong possibility of a covert police relationship.
• Despite being connected to serious criminal cases (including an AK-47 shooting), “Indian Dave” evaded prison for decades, a fact several sources tie to informant status:

  “That's one way in which the really sophisticated gangsters do it. They work out early on that if you have connections in the police, it helps.” — Keefe [19:53]

Hopes for Consequences and the Limits of Journalism

[20:38] Patrick Radden Keefe:

• Keefe reflects on the personal connection and trust developed with the Brettler family.
• Hopes for a reopened investigation or at least police acknowledgment of failings:

  “The Met police would reopen the investigation or at least give an acknowledgment that they have fallen extremely short in this case.” [21:17]

• Sees value in documenting the truth even when legal accountability is elusive, paralleling his work on the Sackler family:

  “It's not accountability in a legal sense, but... to pin the truth down in a way that is kind of unassailable and will endure, has a value by itself.”

Systemic Issues in UK Policing and “Londonization”

[24:55] Patrick Radden Keefe:

• Discusses British and global aspects of the story — London’s unique culture as a “stage for reinvention” and the interplay of international financial and criminal influences:

  “I think there are distinctly British aspects of this … before the Russians came in the early aughts, it was the Americans. … There are ways in which England has become more like America and ways in which America may be becoming more like England.”

• Rejects the notion of detached critique, highlighting shared vulnerabilities for all families.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “[The car’s data] drove a coach and horses through Shamji’s own account of what took place on the night… He, at minimum, misled law enforcement, at worst, deliberately deceived them in order to minimize his role.”
  — Gabriel Pogrent [07:38]

• “To me, that is the explanation really, of what happened, is that Zach thought that if he stayed in that apartment, that was the... that was what would become of him. And so I think he jumped not to die, but to live.”
  — Patrick Radden Keefe [14:20]

• “[The Met] have never apologized. … Every angle of investigation was thoroughly pursued — there's always sort of a little bit of... a pat on their own back, which to me, just feels kind of starkly at odds with the reality.”
  — Patrick Radden Keefe [21:17]

• “If this is how they examine the death of Zach, how on earth can we have confidence in them investigating people with improbable connections ... or journalists in the UK?”
  — Gabriel Pogrent [23:28]

Important Timestamps

• [01:05] – Recap of case, Gabriel Pogrent’s entry to the investigation
• [05:55] – Discovery and implications of car tracking data
• [10:25] – Keefe discusses the meaning of “heating up knives”
• [14:20] – Keefe’s thesis: Zach’s jump as an act of desperation
• [18:20] – Informant allegations against “Indian Dave”
• [20:38] – Keefe’s hopes and journalism’s impact
• [24:55] – Reflections on London, policing, and cross-cultural issues

Updates and Whereabouts

• Indian Dave (Verinder Sharma):
  Died in 2020 of apparent overdose in same flat where Zach died. Before death, told a paramedic he was under police pressure as an informant.
• Akbar Shamji:
  Moved to the US after the incident; current whereabouts unknown.
• Metropolitan Police:
  Maintains that all procedures were followed and every hypothesis explored; no formal apology or case reopening.

Conclusion

This episode uncovers grave institutional failings in the investigation of Zach Brettler’s death and highlights the vital role of determined investigative journalism in exposing uncomfortable truths. The discussion is a poignant commentary on justice, accountability, and the ongoing struggles faced by bereaved families when powerful systems resist transparency.