Accused jumped boundary wall to enter Saif’s building, found security guards asleep

Mumbai, Jan 22 (PTI) The Bangladeshi national arrested for attacking Saif Ali Khan gained entry into the actor’s building here by scaling its compound wall and went inside the main entrance after finding the security guards asleep, police said.

The Mumbai police on Tuesday recreated the crime scene with the accused at the Satguru Sharan building in Bandra area, where the actor resides.

Khan (54) was stabbed repeatedly by the intruder, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir alias Vijay Das (30), inside his 12-floor apartment in the wee hours of January 16.

The actor suffered multiple stab injuries in the attack and underwent an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital. He returned home on Tuesday.

The police arrested the accused from neighbouring Thane city on Sunday.

In order to recreate the crime scene, the police took the accused to the actor’s building as well as at other places that he possibly visited to have food, change clothes and board a train, the official said on Tuesday.

“Both the security guards in the building, where actor Saif Ali Khan resides, were sleeping when his attacker entered it by crossing over the boundary wall,” the official said.

“As the accused found both the security guards in deep slumber, he entered the building from the main entrance where no CCTV camera has been installed. The accused removed his shoes and kept them in his bag to avoid making any noise and also switched off his phone,” he said.

During the probe, the police found there are no CCTV cameras installed in the building’s corridor, the official said.

“The investigation revealed that one of the two security guards was sleeping in the cabin and the other near the gate,” he added.

The accused is kept in the lockup either at the Bandra or the Santacruz police stations (as per the probe requirement) and no one except the investigation officer has permission to meet him. He is being provided food given to the other accused as well, the official said.

Police Inspector (Crime) Ajay Lingnurkar has been appointed as the investigation officer in the case, he said.

Fakir, a native of Jhalokathi district in Bangladesh, was residing in Mumbai for more than five months, did odd jobs and was associated with a housekeeping agency, according to police.

A court in Mumbai on Sunday remanded the accused in five-day police custody.