Police have arrested a man suspected of stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan in Mumbai. The arrest marks a key breakthrough in the investigation, which began three days after the attack.
Details of the attack and investigation
In the early hours of Thursday, a man broke into Saif Ali Khan’s residence in an upscale Mumbai neighbourhood. He stabbed the 54-year-old actor six times, leaving him with serious injuries.
Authorities identified Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad as the main suspect. They believe he is a Bangladeshi national who entered India illegally. He worked under the alias “Vijay Das” for a housekeeping agency.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gedam said, “Documents found with the suspect confirm his Bangladeshi nationality. After entering India illegally, he assumed a new identity to find work.”
Shehzad moved to Mumbai five to six months ago. After staying in the city for a while, he relocated to its outskirts where he found work in housekeeping.
Police capture suspect after long search
Despite being seen on CCTV, Shehzad managed to evade arrest for over 70 hours. Police eventually caught him late on Saturday. They found him hiding in a mangrove area near Thane.
While the police were concluding their search at a labour camp, they decided to conduct one final sweep. They spotted Shehzad and, when he tried to run, chased him until nearly 100 officers managed to apprehend him.
He later admitted to fleeing to Thane after seeing his image on TV and online. Familiar with the area from previous work in a bar, he believed it would be a safe place to hide. When he saw the police, he fled again and switched off his phone.
About Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan, the son of cricket legend Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore, hails from the royal family of Pataudi in Haryana. Since making his Bollywood debut in 1993, he has appeared in over 60 films, including the critically acclaimed Omkara, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello.
Khan is married to actress Kareena Kapoor. Together, they have two sons, Taimur, aged 7, and Jeh, aged 3. Both children were in the house during the attack but fortunately were not harmed.
