Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: Attacker Arrested, Police Suspect He's Bangladeshi Who Entered India Illegally

Mumbai Police say the accused Mohammed Sharif-ul-Islam Shehzad could be a Bangladeshi national as he does not have any valid Indian documents.

Thane: In a breakthrough in Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, Mumbai Police arrested the alleged attacker in Thane early Sunday morning after tracking the location of his mobile phone.

Police identified the accused as 30-year-old Mohammed Sharif-ul-Islam Shehzad, and said he was using multiple names including Vijay Das and Bijoy Das, and prima facie is a Bangladeshi national.

According to senior Mumbai police officials, the tower location of the accused's mobile was found in Hiranandani Estate under Vadavli police station limits.

In a press conference after the arrest, DCP Zone 9 Dixit Gedam said the accused could be a Bangladeshi national. "There is primary evidence to anticipate that the accused is a Bangladeshi. He does not have valid Indian documents. There are some seizures that indicate that he is a Bangladeshi national..."

"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 days and then in the vicinity of Mumbai. The accused used to work in a housekeeping agency," Gedam said.

The officer said the accused had entered Saif's house with the intention of robbery. "He will be produced in the court and custody will be demanded. Further investigation will take place later," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, a 31-year-old suspect was detained at the Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh. The person, whose photo had been shared by Mumbai Police with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), was travelling by the Jnaneshwari Express which runs between Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) to Kolkata Shalimar.

Aakash Kailash Kannojia, the detained man, was "still a suspect", Mumbai police said in a statement later, adding that further action would be taken after due verification.

Saif, 54, was grievously injured in the attack by the intruder in the wee hours of Thursday (Jan. 16, 2025) at his Mumbai house. He was stabbed multiple times by the attacker during the robbery attempt at his 12th floor residence in 'Satguru Sharan' building in upscale Bandra. The actor is recovering well at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital and could be discharged in two to three days, according to the doctors.

Police recover piece of knife from Saif's residence

Police have recovered a piece of a broken knife from Saif's house during the probe of Thursday's attack, an official said on Saturday night. The doctors who performed an emergency surgery on the actor had removed a 2.5-inch piece of a broken knife from his spine afterwards.

If the knife had pierced 2 mm deeper, it could have caused a severe injury, the doctors had noted. Police are looking for the remaining part of the knife, the official said.

Saif's wife and actor Kareena Kapoor Khan told police in her statement that the intruder got aggressive when confronted, but did not touch jewellery kept in the open, said an official. A senior police official said the attack seemed to be a "stray incident." "The intruder was not working for any gang, as per the prima facie investigation. He probably was not even aware whose house he had entered," the official added.

CCTV footage showed the suspected assailant, wearing a red scarf and carrying a backpack, scurrying down the stairs from the sixth floor of 'Satguru Sharan' around 2.30 am on Thursday.

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