Saif Ali Khan attacker arrested: GPay for paratha, water bottle a vital clue for Mumbai Police

A cellphone fee by Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi nationwide who allegedly attacked Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence on January 16, was a serious clue for the Mumbai Police to trace him down.
Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, who had illegally entered India and altered his identify to Bijoy Das, was arrested earlier on Sunday from adjoining Thane metropolis.
Mohammad Shariful had made a UPI transaction by Google Pay or GPay for paratha and a bottle of water at a stall close to Century Mill in Worli, The Indian Specific reported, citing sources related to the investigation.
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The UPI fee led police to the accused’s cell quantity which was then traced to Thane the place extra clues led to a dense mangrove cluster close to a labour camp, the report added.
Shortly, about 100 cops launched a search on the location.
“After looking there, the police crew had nearly left the spot after they determined to examine as soon as extra. As they regarded once more, the sunshine from one of many torches indicated somebody sleeping on the bottom. As an officer moved nearer, the individual obtained up and began working. He was quickly caught and overpowered,” The Indian Specific added, citing the sources.
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Mohammad Shariful was in Bandra until 7am on the day of the incident and slept at a bus cease, a information company PTI reported, citing a police official. Mohammad Shariful had entered the Bollywood star’s residence, in Satguru Sharan constructing in upscale Bandra, within the early hours of January 16 with the intention of theft, it added.
“Throughout preliminary questioning, the accused informed us that after he noticed his photos being flashed on TV and YouTube, he obtained scared and fled to Thane as he had labored in a bar there and knew the world,” the sources informed IE.
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Earlier, the cops started closing in on the suspect after monitoring CCTV digicam footage on the Bandra railway station and tracing him to a store exterior the Dadar station from the place he purchased a cell cowl. “However he made a money fee right here. After that, he moved to Kabutarkhana after which to Worli,” sources mentioned.
Police surveillance within the space revealed Mohammad Shariful lingering at a stall close to Century Mill, the place he interacted with the stall proprietor, Naveen Ekka, a number of occasions.
The investigation shifted to Ekka, who was staying close to Koliwada. Police groups have been dispatched to go looking the world. They recognized Ekka’s home at a home in Janata Colony, the place he shared the area with different employees. Nevertheless, the home was locked when police arrived, in order that they contacted the owner, Rajnarajayan Prajapati. Prajapati’s son, Vinod, supplied Ekka’s contact quantity and confirmed he was a tenant however couldn’t establish the suspect.
Ekka confirmed that the suspect had made a fee by way of Google Pay. This led police to his cell quantity, which was the important thing turning level within the case.
‘Accused slept at a bus cease’
“He slept at a bus cease close to Patwardhan Backyard in Bandra West until 7am on January 16 after the incident. Later he boarded a prepare and reached Worli (in central Mumbai),” an unnamed official informed PTI.
“Our probe has discovered that he took the steps until the seventh-eighth ground, then entered the duct space, climbed to the twelfth ground utilizing a pipe, broke into the actor’s flat by a rest room window. He then got here out from the toilet, the place he was seen by the actor’s workers, which led to the chain of occasions that resulted within the assault,” the official added.
The official mentioned the accused began arguing with a nanny in the home and sought ₹1 crore, and listening to the ruckus, Saif Ali Khan arrived there and nabbed him from the entrance.
Mohammad Shariful was startled and stabbed the actor within the again.
Saif Ali Khan then locked the room, believing the accused was pinned inside. Nevertheless, the accused managed to flee from the identical space from the place he had entered.
“We now have recovered a hammer, screwdriver, nylon rope and different supplies from his bag,” the official mentioned. This stuff make the police suspect he could have legal antecedents, the official added. The accused got here to know that he had attacked a Bollywood star solely after seeing tv information reportage and social media posts of the incident,” the official mentioned.
(With inputs from companies)