A 30-year-old Bangladeshi national, arrested in connection with the stabbing of actor Saif Ali Khan, reportedly panicked upon seeing his image on TV channels and had planned to flee back to Bangladesh before his arrest, Mumbai Police said on Monday.
The attacker, identified as Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, who had changed his name to Vijay Das, allegedly carried out the violent attack on Khan inside his Bandra apartment on Thursday. The actor required surgery after being repeatedly stabbed by the assailant.
During the investigation, police discovered that Fakir had reached out to his brother in Bangladesh for documents to help him flee, which eventually aided in confirming his identity. Fakir had been residing in Mumbai for over five months, working odd jobs and associated with a housekeeping agency, officials said.
A breakthrough in the case came after Mumbai Police examined CCTV footage, which showed Fakir riding a motorcycle on January 9, a week before the attack. This led investigators to trace his movements and connect him to the crime.
The police were also able to track Fakir through a digital payment made at a food stall in Worli, where he ordered Bhurji Pav and a bottle of water. This payment allowed the police to locate his position in Thane, where they eventually arrested him in a mangrove area near a labour camp.
Fakir admitted to panicking after seeing his image on TV news channels and social media, and planned to flee back to Bangladesh. Authorities are now matching fingerprints found at the crime scene with those of the accused as part of the ongoing investigation.
Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar accused Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) of hypocrisy over the issue of illegal immigration, questioning why Thackeray had not confronted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the issue in the context of the attack.
Fakir has been remanded in police custody for five days as investigations continue, with charges including robbery, house-breaking, and other offenses under Indian law. Meanwhile, doctors at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital confirmed that Khan is recovering and may be discharged soon.