A crucial lead in the investigation of an alleged attack on actor Saif Ali Khan led Mumbai Police to Mohammad Shariful Islam (30) late Saturday night, nearly 70 hours after the incident. The lead came from a UPI transaction made through Google Pay (G Pay) at a stall near Century Mill in Worli, where Islam purchased a paratha and a bottle of water, according to sources close to the investigation, reported The Indian Express. The payment was traced to Islam’s mobile number, which led police to Thane. Further clues directed them to a dense mangrove area near a labor camp. A team of around 100 police officers began searching the area.
The search almost ended when one officer noticed a person lying on the ground, illuminated by a flashlight. As the officer approached, the individual stood up and fled. But the Police quickly apprehended him. During initial questioning, Islam admitted that he fled to Thane after seeing his image on TV and YouTube. He recognized the danger and chose to hide in the area, where he had previously worked in a bar.
Before this breakthrough, police had traced the suspect’s movements using CCTV footage. They found him at Bandra railway station and then identified him buying a mobile cover at a shop near Dadar station. After paying in cash, he moved to Kabutarkhana and then to Worli. Police surveillance in the area revealed Islam lingering at a stall near Century Mill, where he interacted with the stall owner, Naveen Ekka, multiple times.
The investigation shifted to Ekka, who was staying near Koliwada. Police teams were dispatched to search the area. They identified Ekka’s residence at a house in Janata Colony, where he shared the space with other workers. However, the house was locked when police arrived, so they contacted the landlord, Rajnarajayan Prajapati. Prajapati’s son, Vinod, provided Ekka’s contact number and confirmed he was a tenant but couldn’t identify the suspect.
The breakthrough came when Ekka confirmed that the suspect had made a payment via Google Pay. This led police to Islam’s mobile number, which was the key turning point in the case. The number traced Islam to the labor camp in Kasarvadavali, Thane, where a contractor named Amit Pandey had hired him months earlier.
By 10 PM Saturday, the suspect had fled, and police were unable to reach him after his phone was turned off. The search expanded to the surrounding mangrove area near the camp, where the breakthrough came when a police officer’s flashlight revealed Islam, who tried to escape but was caught.