Hyderabad: Mumbai Police have found 19 fingerprints of Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, the primary suspect in the stabbing of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, at the crime scene and various locations within the 12-storey Satguru Sharan building in Bandra. According to sources, the fingerprints, found on stairs, windows, and apartments, serve as crucial evidence against the accused.
Shehzad, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national and former wrestler, was arrested for allegedly attacking Saif Ali Khan during a failed robbery attempt. Police revealed that Shehzad, a district and national-level wrestler in Bangladesh, used his skills to overpower the actor without sustaining injuries.
The stabbing occurred in the early hours of January 16 at Saif Ali Khan's Bandra residence. Awakened by a commotion in his son Jeh's room, the actor intervened when Shehzad was arguing with their house help. A physical altercation ensued, during which Saif sustained six stab wounds, two of which were near his spine. The intruder fled without stealing anything.
Medical experts treating Saif have decided to extend his hospital stay for further observation. Sources indicate that he may be discharged on Tuesday or Wednesday. The actor's wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and other family members were at home during the incident but were unharmed.
Shehzad needed cash to get back to Bangladesh so he picked Saif's place after checking out a bunch of other famous folks' houses, like Shah Rukh Khan's Mannat. But he bailed on that one because the security was super tight. After the attack, he swapped outfits a bunch of times and hopped around places in Mumbai, from Bandra all the way to Thane to evade detection.
Cops nabbed Shehzad close to Hiranandani Estate in Thane wrapping up a search that took seven hours. They uncovered him stashed in foliage next to a workers' quarters. While interrogating him, Shehzad came clean admitting, "Haan, maine hi kiya hai (Yes, I did it)."
Further investigations revealed Shehzad had been living in Mumbai for four months under the alias Bijoy Das. He had previously worked at a hotel through a housekeeping company, which is also under scrutiny.
The police transferred Shehzad to Bandra Police Station for further interrogation and planned to recreate the crime scene at Saif’s residence. The investigation revealed that Shehzad monitored news coverage of the case, saving screenshots of media reports about suspects.
Authorities also uncovered that Shehzad lacked Indian identification documents, confirming his Bangladeshi nationality. His background as a wrestler was instrumental in the attack.
The incident has raised alarm over the security of high-profile residences in Mumbai. Authorities are enhancing security measures and continuing to probe Shehzad's activities and motivations.
Saif Ali Khan's elder son, Taimur, accompanied him to the police station after the attack. The rickshaw driver who transported the actor to the hospital stated he was unaware of Saif's celebrity status at the time.
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