Saif stabbing: Accused suspected to be Bangladeshi national
What's the story
The Mumbai Police have arrested a man, suspected to be a Bangladeshi national, for allegedly attacking Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence. The accused has been identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad (31), who also goes by several other aliases including Vijay Das. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone 9, Dixit Gedam confirmed this during a press conference on Sunday morning.
Investigation update
'Preliminary evidence suggests accused is a Bangladeshi national'
Further, Gedam said, "There is preliminary evidence to suggest that the accused is a Bangladeshi. He does not have valid Indian documents. Some items seized indicate that he is a Bangladeshi national." The police suspect the accused entered Khan's residence with an intention to steal. The incident took place around 2:00am on January 16, when Khan was seriously injured with stab wounds on his thoracic spine.
Legal proceedings
Accused will be produced before court under Passport Act
Further, Gedam added that the accused would be produced before the court. "We will seek police custody. We doubt that the accused is of Bangladeshi origin and thus, we have invoked relevant sections of the Passport Act as well," he said. The police are verifying his credentials and whether he has a criminal record. They are also investigating how he entered India and are looking for documents he may have used to cross the border.
Accused's background
The accused was living in Mumbai under an alias
Gedam revealed the accused had been living in Mumbai for five to six months under the alias Vijay Das. "Prima facie the accused is a Bangladeshi and after entering India illegally he changed his name. Currently, he is using Vijay Das as his name," said Gedam. The accused had been working as housekeeping staff at Ricky's bar in Thane, using this alias to hide his identity.
Twitter Post
Listen to DCP Gedam here
#WATCH | Saif Ali Khan Attack case | Mumbai: DCP Zone 9 Dixit Gedam says, "Prima facie the accused is a Bangladeshi and 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… pic.twitter.com/r08nkk6ott
— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2025
Actor's condition
Meanwhile, Khan is recovering post-surgery
After the attack, Khan (54) was rushed to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital for treatment. He successfully underwent surgery to remove a 2.5-inch-long blade from his thoracic spine and has since been shifted from the ICU to a normal room. The hospital administration confirmed that while he is currently "out of danger" and may be discharged soon.