Accused who attacked Saif Ali Khan panicked after seeing his photo on TV, then made a plan to escape

The Bangladeshi national arrested for stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan had planned to flee to Bangladesh after getting nervous after seeing his picture on news channels. This information has been given by news agency PTI quoting officials. The accused has been identified as Shariful Islam Shahzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, who had changed his name to Vijay Das.

He was traced after CCTV footage surfaced. Initially, the police faced challenges in locating the lone attacker. Fakir, a native of Jhalokati in Bangladesh, had been living in Mumbai for more than five months, doing small jobs, and was associated with a housekeeping agency. Taking the help of advanced technology, the police identified the intruder's picture on CCTV and spotted him on a motorcycle at a crossing in suburban Andheri on January 9, officials said.

The investigation took a turn when the motorcyclist told the police that he was Fakir's old boss. This clue helped the police obtain the suspect's phone number, which was put under surveillance, they said. On Saturday night, the police tracked a digital payment made by the suspect to a food stall near Century Mill in Worli, where he ordered burji pav (fried eggs with bread) and a bottle of water.

This digital footprint helped the police trace his location in Thane and search teams were deployed in and around the area, officials said. The accused was finally found lying on the ground in a dense mangrove area near a labor camp in Thane's Hiranandani Estate. During interrogation, Fakir said he was terrified after seeing his image on news channels and social media. He claimed that he was planning to flee back to Bangladesh, officials said. Fingerprints collected from the duct and washroom window at the crime scene will be matched with the fingerprints of the accused as part of the ongoing investigation, officials said.

In fact, Saif Ali Khan was attacked at his Bandra home late Wednesday night. 30-year-old Bangladeshi national Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad allegedly attacked the actor with a knife during a theft attempt. He was rushed to the hospital by his seven-year-old son Taimur. The neurosurgeon who operated on Saif said that the Omkara actor arrived at the hospital in an auto-rickshaw with Taimur and a caretaker. Speaking to the media, Dr Neeraj Utmani said, "When Saif Ali Khan came to the hospital, I was the first person to meet him. He was covered in blood but walked like a lion with his little child Taimur. Saif Ali Khan is a real hero."