Saif Ali Khan attack case: How CCTVs, GPay, and cell data led police to the attacker

Police combine use of tech and human intelligence to track down alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrant from Bandra to Thane via Andheri

A facial recognition security camera at Bandra railway station is responsible for the first breakthrough in the Saif Ali Khan attack case, as the alleged robber, Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, was captured by the device on January 9. Subsequently, he was seen in the DN Nagar area of Andheri, where a biker was captured on another CCTV camera dropping him off. To track down the accused, the Mumbai police reviewed footage from the start of the new year to January 18.

During this detailed examination, the footage from DN Nagar proved pivotal, as it revealed the biker dropping off the alleged attacker.

A screengrab of CCTV footage of the accused at Dadar a few hours after the incident

The investigation revealed that the bike rider had picked up Shehzad from Andheri station before dropping him off at DN Nagar. Using the CCTV footage, the police identified the registration number of the bike. This led to a series of clues that ultimately helped the police trace the rider. Through him, they were able to identify and locate the accused.

Further CCTV analysis showed that Shehzad allegedly entered Saif’s residence at 1.33 am on January 16 and left the premises at 2.33 am. Later, at 7.05 am, he was spotted near Bandra station. He then travelled to Dadar station, where he was seen purchasing headphones from a mobile shop in the Kabutarkhana area around 9.05 am. From there, he went to Worli, where he was seen having breakfast at a food stall at 10.33 am, making the payment via Google Pay.

The mobile shop in Dadar that the alleged attacker visited on January 16

Police sources said they used the Google Pay transaction details to trace the attacker’s movements further. This eventually led them to a location near some bushes in the Hiranandani area of Thane, where the accused was apprehended around 2 am on January 19.

More details unearthed

Sources also revealed that the attacker had worked at a reputed club in Worli as part of the helping or cleaning staff until November last year. He was also reportedly living nearby. According to an officer, the contractor who hired the accused had not conducted proper background verification.

The labour camp in Hiranandani Estate, Thane, where the accused had been hiding out

The Crime Branch sleuths, who had already obtained the mobile number of Shehzad, began tracking his tower location. This led them to Hiranandani Estate in Thane, where he had reportedly arrived just two days before he was arrested.

It is said that Shehzad, who kept on changing his name to avoid police detection, had started to work as a member of the cleaning staff in a luxury bar. However, the manager of the establishment told mid-day that Shehzad never worked for them.

The mangroves where the accused led the cops on a merry chase before he was finally caught. Pics/Diwakar Sharma

A security supervisor at a housing society, requesting anonymity, told mid-day that nearly 10 police personnel had arrived at the security gate of the building in Hiranandani Estate on Saturday evening.

“I was on duty when police personnel arrived in plain clothes around 7.30 pm. One of them flashed his identity card and later started to ask about the accused. The policemen also showed us the CCTV grab of the attacker. When I asked the police why they had come to the housing society, one of them said that the tower location of the accused was nearby,” said the society supervisor.

A still from footage from January 9 showing the accused being dropped off at DN Nagar, Andheri

There are two adjacent dining or entertainment establishments in the area. Asked if he ever saw the attacker working in either of the eateries, the security supervisor said, “I never saw him working in the restaurants at Hiranandani Estate but if he had joined a couple of days ago, it means someone was helping him to get a job in the city.”

Dramatic chase

The security supervisor added, “When one police officer was discussing the matter with me, others immediately rushed out of the housing society, stating that the tower location of the accused was changing.”

“The cops eventually made their way towards a labour camp where the attacker was arrested,” said the security supervisor.

The labour camp is located in a forested area and Shehzad ran through a narrow path surrounded by overgrown vegetation after he learnt that cops were searching for him. “They will investigate how the accused got alerted,” said the security supervisor.

The distance between the housing society where the policemen had arrived to enquiry about the accused and the labour camp is around 500 metres. One has to carefully negotiate the risky uneven path, along a large drain, that leads to the hideout of the accused.

The hundreds of labourers residing in shanties in the area were clueless as to what was happening. “Around 9 pm I saw nearly one dozen policemen standing near a cremation ground,” said Jaikali Devi, a resident.

“The cops started to ask each of us about some person. We were told that he had attacked a film star in Mumbai and had been hiding in this area. But we never saw him here,” she added.

Local sources told mid-day that the police had thoroughly searched each and every shanty in the labour camp. However, by the time they completed their search, the accused had already jumped over a small drain and fled deep into a mangrove patch.

“But the cops did not give up and continued to search for him. Suddenly, the cops noticed some suspicious activity in the mangroves where the accused was hiding. By then, many police officers had arrived in the area,” said a local, requesting anonymity.

Local sources claimed the cops took down details of all families residing in the camp. “The cops have taken the details of around 400 of us,” said a resident.

Accused’s profile

According to the police, Shehzad had studied up to Std 12th and had come to Mumbai from Bangladesh in search of better job opportunities. However, being unemployed and in urgent need of Rs 50,000 to return to Bangladesh, he decided to commit theft. He targeted Saif’s building as he found it easy to climb and noticed that security was not present at all the gates.

Officials further revealed that the accused was planning to escape to Kolkata via the Geetanjali Express and then flee to Bangladesh.

The Mumbai Police, in a release, stated that both Satyanarayan Chaudhari, commissioner of police (law and order), and Lakhmi Gautam, joint commissioner of police (crime), played crucial roles in tracing and apprehending the accused. 

2 am
Time accused was apprehended on Sunday

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!