The Shapatar...

Once the race started, Babu quickly took the lead.

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It stayed that way well beyond the halfway mark. This is what everyone agrees on. What happened after is contested.

Babu’s brother Murtaza, who was at the race, says that he was hit by a car, but is unsure if it was a sedan or a hatchback. Ali, a young man who is no longer involved in racing, claims it was Sanki’s boys in the vehicle and that Sanki also kicked Babu’s motorcycle.

Tariq 180 dismisses claims of foul play. “Babu’s motorcycle’s engine malfunctioned due to the race and was dripping oil, which fell on the wheel and led to him losing control,” he asserts.

Murtaza says that Babu’s accident took place while victory was just a short distance away. “He got dragged for almost a km and sustained multiple injuries,” he tells Eos at his motorcycle parts shop.

Babu spent almost four weeks in the hospital before passing away. The family didn’t file any police report over his death, lending credence to Tariq’s assertion that there was no foul play.

Eos made several efforts to contact Saqib Sanki but was informed by his apprentices that he didn’t want to speak to a journalist, even though they regularly upload his videos and races on social media. One reason could be his legal troubles: Saqib is currently on bail in a 2022 dacoity case, with the hearings ongoing.

Saqib’s legal troubles means he often takes unscheduled breaks from racing. Despite that, he still enjoys a massive following, with his acolytes running multiple accounts dedicated to him on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

But there still remain those who think Babu was better than him. “Babu was clearly a better rider and his victory against Sanki would have established him as the undisputed champion shapatar of Karachi,” says Ibrahim, another former racer who knew Babu well. “If you ask young boys who they want to be like, most will say Babu 70,” he adds.