A holiday court in Mumbai on Sunday sent Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad, a 30-year-old man of Bangladeshi origin, to police custody for five days after he was arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan.
Shariful Islam has been accused of allegedly intruding into the house of actor Saif Ali Khan in Bandra on Thursday morning and attacking him with a sharp object. He was arrested on Saturday night from Thane and the police said he had changed his name to Vijay Das after entering India to hide his Bangladeshi origins.
Although investigators sought 14 days of custody of the accused, the court granted the police custody of five days only. While seeking his custody, the investigators submitted 15 grounds before the court, as follows:
Investigation into motive and instigation: The accused committed a serious crime by breaking into the residence of the famous actor Saif Ali Khan, intending to rob him, and attacking him with a sharp object in front of family members and other house staff. Custodial interrogation is necessary to determine if anyone instigated him to commit this crime.
Investigation into source of address: To obtain information from the accused regarding who provided him with actor Saif Ali Khan’s residential address and arrest those involved.
Recovery of clothing: The accused is believed to have hidden the clothes worn during the commission of the crime. Investigators seek to recover these clothes.
Investigation into fake identity: The accused was living under a false identity as Vijay Das in India. Investigations are needed to understand the reasons behind this and why he chose the name “Vijay Das”.
Recovery of weapon fragments: Investigators need to recover any remaining parts or fragments of the weapon used in the crime, which the accused may have hidden.
Investigation into illegal entry and residency: The accused entered India illegally from Bangladesh without a passport or visa and has been residing in India unlawfully. Custodial interrogation is required to determine the route he took from Bangladesh to India and how he entered the country.
Investigation into assistance with illegal entry and residency: Investigators seek to determine if anyone assisted the accused in illegally entering India from Bangladesh and in maintaining his unlawful stay.
Investigation into shelter and support: Investigators aim to determine if anyone provided shelter to the accused during his illegal stay in India.
Investigation into date of entry and duration of illegal stay: The investigators need to ascertain the exact date the accused entered India and the duration of his illegal stay.
Procurement of weapon: Investigators need to determine the location from where the accused obtained the sharp weapon used in the crime and recover it.
Investigation into accomplices: Investigators aim to determine if the accused had any accomplices in committing the crime.
Determination of motive: Investigators need to obtain information about the accused’s exact motive for committing the crime.
Investigation into prior criminal record: Investigators seek to determine if the accused has a prior criminal record in India, Bangladesh, or any other country.
Investigation into criminal record in Bangladesh: Investigators need to determine if the accused has committed any crimes in Bangladesh that led him to flee the country and change his identity to hide from authorities in India.
Investigation into other illegal entrants and connections: Investigators need to determine if others, like the accused, have illegally entered India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, or other countries, or if the accused is in contact with such individuals.
The police earlier in the day said after being caught from Thane on Saturday night, the accused allegedly admitted to the crime, saying, “Ha maine hi kiya (Yes, I did it).”
They also said he was sleeping in dense mangroves in Thane when he was picked up by police late on Saturday during a search by a police team of nearly 100 personnel in the area.