The attack on Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan late on Wednesday night has shaken the netizens. Since the unfortunate incident, several headlines, updates, and speculations have been swirling around. Following a lengthy manhunt, and a grave mistake by the accused of making a UPI payment, the culprit is finally in police custody. On Sunday, the Mumbai police arrested thirty-year-old Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir – a Bangladeshi national, for allegedly breaking into actor Saif Ali Khan’s residence.
As per the details, the Mumbai Police had involved more than 300 cops to arrest the accused. The manhunt lasted 72 hours and around 600 CCTV cameras were scanned in the process.
How the accused entered Saif’s abode undetected?
The cops believe that the accused sneaked past the high-profile building’s security by jumping over the compound wall of an adjacent building. Subsequently, he sneaked into the building via a rear staircase. He reportedly told cops he resorted to air-conditioning ducts to avoid detection. As per reports, Shehzad took the stairs to the seventh or eighth floor and then entered the ducts. He then climbed to the 12th floor and entered the actor’s flat via a bathroom window. Following this, Saif’s staff spotted him, instigating the chain of events that concluded the attack.
In the CCTV footage of the actor’s residence, the police noticed the suspect leaving the building after the attack. Police then scanned several hours of CCTV footage from across the city to locate the suspect. Subsequently, Shehzad was captured on a CCTV camera in DN Nagar in the Andheri area, getting off a two-wheeler. The police then traced the vehicle using its registration number.
The 72-hour manhunt
Moreover, as the CCTVs were being scanned thoroughly, the police took the help of local intelligence inputs. After attacking Khan, Shehzad escaped to Dadar via the Bandra station from where he went to Worli. The police traced the suspect’s route with the help of CCTV cameras at the Bandra Railway Station, Dadar, and then Worli. Resultantly, they zeroed in on a rented accommodation at Koliwada in Worli. A team of cops then went to this accommodation and questioned the other residents of the area. They managed to get the suspect’s name and other related information. They also tried to track the suspect’s phone signal but he turned the device off after a while.
After he was seen eating parathas at a food stall, the police located the stall owner. He gave the cops the details of the UPI transaction that Shehzad made to pay for the parathas and a water bottle. This essential clue led police to the labour camp near Ghodbunder, in Thane.
The nab
After obtaining the number of the accused, the police started scanning the area near the labour camp. Soon, their searches led them to a dense mangrove cluster near a labour camp. In a scene that seems straight out of a movie, the cops reportedly saw someone sleeping on the ground. However, as the person stood up, he started running as an officer moved closer. The police soon caught and overpowered him.
The accused worked at a restaurant and was a Bangladeshi national
During investigations, the Mumbai police learnt that the accused used to work as a housekeeper at a restaurant near the Hiranandani area of Thane. The Manager of the restaurant revealed that a third-party vendor got Shehzad the job at the restaurant. He worked at the restaurant from September 2024 to December 2024.
#WATCH | Saif Ali Khan Attack case | Mumbai: DCP Zone 9 Dixit Gedam says, “Prima facie the accused is a Bangladeshi and after entering India illegally he changed his name. He was using Vijay Das as his current name. He came to Mumbai 5-6 months ago. He stayed in Mumbai for a few… pic.twitter.com/r08nkk6ott
— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2025
Meanwhile, the police noted that they did not find any Indian documents from Shehzad. However, they found evidence emphasising that he is a Bangladeshi national who crossed over illegally. Addressing a press conference, Dikshit Gedam, DCP, Crime Branch Mumbai revealed the details. “There is primary evidence to anticipate that the accused is a Bangladeshi. He does not have valid Indian documents. Some seizures indicate that he is a Bangladeshi national.” He added, “The accused came to Mumbai nearly six months ago. After that, he started living in various other areas and came to Mumbai 15 days ago He was using Vijay Das as his current name.”
The accused who stabbed Saif Ali Khan taken into custody
Following his arrest, a court remanded Shehzad in five-day police custody. This follows the court’s observation of the police stating that an international conspiracy could not be ruled out. The police informed the court that the accused was a Bangladeshi national. The cops iterated that they needed to find the real motive behind attacking the actor. Moreover, the police also added they needed to find out if there was an international conspiracy behind the incident.
In response, the court said the prosecution’s submission of international conspiracy “cannot be said to be impossible.” Meanwhile, the lawyer representing Shehzad argued that the allegations were false. He stated that his client is being made a scapegoat because a celebrity is involved. “Nothing (incriminating) has been recovered from him.” However, the suspect himself reportedly accepted his crime. He told the cops, “Haan, maine hi kiya hai (yes, I did it).”