Who is Shafiqul Islam? Saif Ali Khan's attacker who used fake name

Saif Ali Khan

After a three-day of extensive manhunt, the Mumbai Police arrested the man who attacked actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence in Bandra on Thursday morning.

The attacker was identified as Shafiqul Islam who was arrested from the Labour Camp area near the Hiranandani Estate in Thane’s Kasarvadavali, nearly 35 kilometres from the actor’s Bandra residence where he committed the crime.

The 30-year-old accused stabbed Saif multiple times at his Bandra apartment in the early hours on Thursday (January 16) during an alleged burglary bid.

On January 16, Vijay Das noticed that the security guard was asleep and climbed to the 11th floor. On reaching the 11th floor, he accessed the duct shaft and entered Saif's flat. The duct brought him close to the children’s room, where he hid in the bathroom.

The attacker was identified as Mohammed Aliyan who attempted to evade arrest by allegedly using a fake name ‘Vijay Das’.

He worked as a housekeeper in Ricky’s bar in Thane. He told the police that he hails from West Bengal. The Mumbai Police are verifying his credentials to ascertain if he is from India, sources said.

Aliyan does small jobs as a labourer. He was allegedly hiding in a bush.The accused does not possess any Indian documents. He has no family in India. The police suspect that the accused might be a foreign national, and they are investigating the matter, sources said.

Addressing a presser, DCP Zone 9 Dikshit Gadam said that no valid documents have been recovered from the arrested accused who “looks like" he is a Bangladeshi national.

“His name is Shafiqul Islam. There is primary evidence to assume that this accused is a Bangladeshi. We will produce him in court and seek his police custody for further Investigation. No valid Indian documents have been found with him, it looks like he is a Bangladeshi national," the police said.

The official said that relevant sections of the Passport Act have been added to the case as the police have doubts that the accused is of Bangladeshi origin.