In final moments before arrest, Saif Ali Khan stabbing accused was found hiding in dense mangroves, was sighted by a police flashlight
The accused, after arriving in Mumbai, was working at a bar in Thane.
3 min read
Saif Ali Khan Attack case: The attacker, identified as Mohammad Islam, was arrested from Thane.The man suspected of having stabbed actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence, who then eluded Mumbai Police for over 48 hours, slept in dense mangroves in Thane and was picked up by police late on Saturday after they decided to do one more check just as they were about to leave the area following a search at a nearby labour camp, sources said.
When they looked again, the torchlight indicated someone sleeping on the ground. As an officer approached, the man got up and started running, and was followed by a team of nearly 100 police personnel. He was subsequently overpowered and apprehended.
On Sunday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gedam said the suspect was identified as Mohammad Islam and is of Bangladeshi origin. The DCP said the 30-year-old had changed his name to Vijay Das after entering India. He entered Mumbai around six months ago.
According to officers, the suspect told police during questioning that after the incident at Saif Ali Khan’s home in Bandra (West) early on Thursday, he had taken a train from Bandra to Dadar, from where he walked to his place of residence in Worli Koliwada.
“He told us that after he saw his images flashed on TV and YouTube, got scared, and fled to Thane as he had worked there in a bar and knew the area. When he saw cops there, he fled again and switched off his mobile phone,” an officer said.
By Saturday evening, police had identified the suspect and started tracking his phone number.
CCTV footage from Dadar Railway station showing the accused.
Earlier, police had been in the dark about his identity, but CCTV footage from Dadar helped them get the investigation back on track. In the footage from a mobile shop, he was seen purchasing a phone cover. Police continued to track him through CCTV cameras and located his residence in the Sion Koliwada area, where he had been sharing a room with five others.
Based on their inquiries and his mobile records, police discovered that he had visited a labour camp in Thane. Additionally, another team identified a contractor, who had hired the suspect a few months earlier.
Nearly 20 teams arrived at the location and searched for the suspect. However, he fled the scene and turned off his mobile phone at around 10 pm on Saturday. Approximately 100 officers from the Mumbai Police gathered at the site to continue the search for him.
A team led by DCP Navnath Dhawale ultimately located the suspect hiding in the mangroves and apprehended him.
He was later formally arrested. After arriving in Mumbai nearly six months ago, he had been working at a bar in Thane, which he left just a week ago in search of new employment, officials said.
You May Like
Photos
