Saif Ali Khan's Attacker Found Hiding in Thane Mangroves; Accused Arrived in Mumbai Six Months Ago

Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad from Bangladesh man suspected of stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence managed to evade the Mumbai Police for over 48 hours before being apprehended early Sunday morning. The 30-year-old, who had entered India under the alias Vijay Das, was located hiding in the dense mangroves of Thane.

Following a massive manhunt, police launched a final search at a nearby labour camp. As they were preparing to leave the area, a flashlight beam revealed a figure lying on the ground. When officers approached, the suspect attempted to flee but was chased down and captured by a team of nearly 100 police personnel.

According to police, the suspect had fled Saif Ali Khan’s residence on Thursday after the attack, taking a train from Bandra to Dadar before walking to his residence in Worli Koliwada. Upon seeing his image broadcast on news channels, he became fearful and decided to hide in Thane, where he had previously worked at a bar. He turned off his mobile phone to avoid detection.

Police initially struggled to identify him, but CCTV footage from a mobile shop in Dadar, where he was seen buying a phone cover, helped track his movements. Further investigations led them to his shared room in Sion Koliwada and a labour camp in Thane. The breakthrough came when his mobile records and inquiries linked him to a contractor who had hired him months earlier.  A dedicated team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Navnath Dhawale, successfully located the suspect in the mangroves, ending a tense search and bringing the fugitive to justice.