An employee of Mahavitarn, officially known as the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), was allegedly assaulted by a consumer at Ulhasnagar, Thane, on Monday. The employee, identified as Roshan Raheja, is a resident of Vasita Colony. He regularly handles cases involving consumers with pending electricity dues. On Monday, Raheja visited the house of Ilmuddin Maibub Sheikh, who had allegedly failed to pay the outstanding dues, amounting to Rs 18,000, for the past two months. When Raheja asked Sheikh to pay the dues, the accused reportedly raised his voice, leading to a heated argument. The situation escalated when Sheikh allegedly slapped and hit Raheja. Some locals recorded the altercation on their mobile phones, even as Sheikh fled the scene. Raheja subsequently filed a complaint with the Vitthalwadi Police, providing details of the incident. Videos captured by witnesses are now aiding the police in tracing Sheikh. A case of assault has been registered, and further investigations are underway.
20 January,2025 09:13 PM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerA case has been registered in connection with a bullfighting event held in Dombivali in Maharashtra's Thane district on January 19, a senior police officer said on Monday. The event took place at a ground in Sonarpada, after which the organisers and bull owners were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 125B (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 111) Atul Zende said. The officer said that Ambernath residents Roshan Dalvi and Ganesh Salvi as well as Barkya Madhavi of Kalyan, the accused in the case, are yet to be arrested. Further probe is underway, the DCP added. Thane court acquits two persons after 9 years in attempt to murder case A court in Thane district acquitted two persons accused of attacking and injuring a man nine years ago, citing insufficient evidence in Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported. Additional sessions judge Amit M Shete acquitted Imran Akhtar Sayyad and Anant Jairam Bhagat in a 2015 attempt to murder case. The copy of the order, dated a week ago on January 13, was made available on Monday. A group of men attacked the victim, Sandeep Gadekar, with weapons in Kalwa on August 31, 2015, as per the case details. The man sustained severe injuries to his head, neck, and abdomen and was hospitalised. The Kalwa police registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 307 (attempt to murder), and 452 (house trespass to assault), among others. In its order, the court noted that there were critical omissions in the victim's testimony, which contradicted his earlier statements to the police. The court also took note of the victim and his family's criminal background. The victim had been externed due to his involvement in criminal activities, reported PTI. Judge Shete ruled that the evidence against the accused was insufficient to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and directed the police to apprehend the remaining absconding accused and file a separate chargesheet. (With inputs from PTI)
20 January,2025 08:50 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentDays after the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, Mumbai Police arrested the accused from Thane district in Maharashtra on Saturday night, officials said. The accused has been identified as Mohammed Shariful Islam Shehzad, 30. He used Vijay Das as his alias. He kept changing his name, said DCP Dixit Gedam. The accused was arrested from the Labour Camp near a metro construction site at Hiranandani in Thane in a late night operation. Shehzad alias Das, a resident of West Bengal, has worked as housekeeping staff that was hired by the Saif-Kareena’s staff in the past few occasions, sources said. During his visit, Shehzad had studied the entry and exits of the actors’ Satguru Sharan building and he managed to gain access to the house on the day of the incident. Sources in the Crime Branch revealed that they had managed to reach the accused with the help of his CCTV footage found outside the Andheri West station, where he was picked up by his friend. With the help of the footage, the cops got the first clue, i.e. the motorcycle number of Shehzad ’s friend who had come outside the station to pick him up. The cops traced the vehicle and with the interrogation of his friend they managed to reach Shehzad who was then arrested from Thane with the assistance of Kasarvadali police, 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. 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. On preliminary interrogations the accused revealed to the police that he wanted to earn some quick money in a short period. The accused is originally from West Bengal and in Mumbai, used to stay near Worli Koliwada. With the fear of arrest, he recently shifted to Thane Hiranandani. The accused was traced by the Crime Branch Team unit -9 headed by Daya Nayak under the supervision of Additional Commissioner of police, West Region Paramjit Dahiya and Dixit Gedam, DCP Zone 09. "He will be produced before a court and the police will seek his custody for interrogations in the case," said an official. The accused arrested in the Saif Ali Khan attack case is suspected to be a Bangladeshi national, said DCP Dixit Gedam. "There is preliminary evidence suggesting he is Bangladeshi, as he possesses no valid Indian documents," Gedam added. He allegedly entered India illegally and changed his name. The accused arrived in Mumbai 5-6 months ago and returned to the city 15 days ago, working with a housekeeping agency. Preliminary investigations suggest that this was his first time entering Saif Ali Khan's house. 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.
20 January,2025 02:38 PM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentA Thane magistrate's inquiry has held five policemen responsible for the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, reported news agency PTI. The magistrate on Monday tendered its inquiry report in a sealed cover to the Bombay High Court, which was hearing a plea filed by Shinde's father, Anna Shinde, claiming the police had killed his son in a fake encounter. The officials involved included senior police inspector Sanjay Shinde of the Thane crime branch, assistant police inspector Nilesh More, head constables Abhijeet More and Harish Tawade and a police driver, reported PTI. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale perused the report and said the government was bound to register a case based on the inquiry and sought to know which probe agency would investigate the Badlapur sexual assault case. "The magistrate has conducted an inquiry and submitted its report. In the report, the magistrate has concluded that the five cops are responsible for the death of accused Akshay Shinde," the court said, reported PTI. The bench noted that as per law, a first information report (FIR) should be registered against the five policemen, and an investigation must be carried out, reported PTI. "You (government) are bound to file an FIR based on this magistrate report. Tell us which agency will investigate the matter," the court said, reported PTI. The bench directed for a copy of the inquiry report to be furnished to the prosecution and Anna Shinde. "We shall keep the original report and all documents and witness statements annexed to it with us for now. The prosecution might need it later when it probes the case," it said, reported PTI. The court asked public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar to inform the bench in two weeks on which probe agency would investigate the Badlapur sexual assault case. Akshay Shinde (24) was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls inside the toilet of a school in Badlapur. He was an attendant at the school, reported PTI. On September 23, Shinde was killed in an alleged police shootout while being taken from the Taloja prison for questioning. The police claimed he snatched the gun from one of the police personnel in the police van, opened fire, and was killed in retaliatory firing. Senior police inspector Sanjay Shinde shot Akshay, while API Nilesh More, two constables and a police driver were present in the van at the time of the shootout, reported PTI. Akshay Shinde was being taken for questioning in connection with a case lodged against him by his wife. Under the law, a magistrate inquiry is initiated in cases where an accused dies in police custody. The high court had also taken a suo moto (on its own) cognisance of the Badlapur sexual assault case and ordered for an expert committee to be set up to address the safety concerns of students in schools and other educational institutions. Public prosecutor Venegaonkar on Monday submitted to the bench the state education department's affidavit on the steps it has taken post the incident. Venegaonkar said the committee report shall be ready by January 31. (With inputs from PTI)
20 January,2025 01:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe body of a 60-year-old unmarried woman, a resident of Mumbai, was found in her room at the Trident Hotel on Sunday afternoon. The woman had reportedly been staying alone at the hotel since 6th January.The Marine Drive Police have registered an Accidental Death (AD) report in connection with the case. A post-mortem examination has been conducted, which revealed no injuries on the body.Speaking about the incident, Pravin Munde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1), stated: “While nothing suspicious has been detected so far, the viscera has been preserved for further examination. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of death.”The police are continuing their enquiries and awaiting forensic results to provide further clarity on the case. Mystery of body in bag in Mumbai Zone VI police officers, including the Trombay cops, have cracked the murder of a woman whose body was discovered in a sack near the Mumbai Metro car shed on August 24 in Mankhurd. Despite assembling teams from various police stations to scan CCTV footage and analyse mobile phone data, no clues emerged, even though the culprits were just 200-300 metres from where the body was found. Finally, after zeroing in on the accused, the deceased was identified as Reshma Jaiswal, a resident of Maharashtra Nagar, Mankhurd. The police have arrested her husband, Kanhaiya Lal Jaiswal; his brother, Ashok Jaiswal; a relative of the deceased, Ravi Srivastav; and his mother and sister, Munni and Reshma Srivastav. The victim was allegedly having an affair with Ravi. The case At 10.40 am on Saturday, a vegetable vendor told the police that he noticed the sack near his shop around 7 am but didn’t realise it contained a body until three hours later when a foul smell emanated from it. The police then swung into action and the body was taken to Rajawadi Hospital. “We formed multiple teams and began piecing together evidence,” said Satyanarayan Chaudhary, joint commissioner, law and order. The police visited nearby stations and interviewed various suspects, but didn’t find any clues. There were no operational CCTV cameras at the crime scene while the camera at the T Junction was down due to ongoing work. Despite the efforts of multiple teams working in different areas, nothing substantial was discovered by Saturday evening. However, a witness informed the police that he had passed the location at 2 am without noticing anything unusual. Hemraj Singh Rajput, DCP, Zone VI, then instructed his teams to focus on human intelligence, as the body must have been dumped at the spot between 2 am and 7 am. “We were then confident about this, so we decided to recreate the scene during that timeframe,” an officer said. A search was then launched in Mankhurd to identify anyone present in the time frame. Teams were dispatched to question shopkeepers and auto and cab drivers. An auto driver near T Junction told the police he had dropped a family off at Mankhurd station and their clothes were dirty, despite saying they were headed to a temple. The police then examined CCTV footage from the station to learn that three individuals, including two women, changed their clothes outside the station around 3.30 am. They were later identified as Ravi, Munni and Reshma Srivastav. When the police located their residence in Mankhurd, a relative informed the officers that they had gone to work. The police eventually arrested them and learnt that the women had helped Ravi dispose of the body.
20 January,2025 01:12 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA court in Thane district acquitted two persons accused of attacking and injuring a man nine years ago, citing insufficient evidence in Maharashtra, reported news agency PTI. Additional sessions judge Amit M Shete acquitted Imran Akhtar Sayyad and Anant Jairam Bhagat in a 2015 attempt to murder case. The copy of the order, dated a week ago on January 13, was made available on Monday. A group of men attacked the victim, Sandeep Gadekar, with weapons in Kalwa on August 31, 2015, as per the case details. The man sustained severe injuries to his head, neck, and abdomen and was hospitalised. The Kalwa police registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 307 (attempt to murder), and 452 (house trespass to assault), among others. In its order, the court noted that there were critical omissions in the victim's testimony, which contradicted his earlier statements to the police. The court also took note of the victim and his family's criminal background. The victim had been externed due to his involvement in criminal activities, reported PTI. Judge Shete ruled that the evidence against the accused was insufficient to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and directed the police to apprehend the remaining absconding accused and file a separate chargesheet. Thane crime: Man held for harassing, assaulting wife The police on Monday said that a 40-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly harassing and assaulting his wife in Maharashtra's Thane district, reported news agency PTI. Police arrested the accused from Ulhasnagar town on Sunday, an official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime. As per the complaint, the accused allegedly drugged his wife, took objectionable photographs of her and forwarded them to his friend on social media, the official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI. The official said the accused also beat up the woman after she confronted him about the photographs. On January 17, the accused's friend called up the woman and sought sexual favours, he said, reported PTI. Based on the woman's complaint, a case was registered under sections 77 (voyeurism), 78 (stalking), 115(2), (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Information Technology Act, the official said. (With inputs from PTI)
20 January,2025 12:43 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA 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 amTime accused was apprehended on Sunday
20 January,2025 12:24 PM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar Sharma | Faizan KhanThe police on Monday said that a 40-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly harassing and assaulting his wife in Maharashtra's Thane district, reported news agency PTI. Police arrested the accused from Ulhasnagar town on Sunday, an official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime. As per the complaint, the accused allegedly drugged his wife, took objectionable photographs of her and forwarded them to his friend on social media, the official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI. The official said the accused also beat up the woman after she confronted him about the photographs. On January 17, the accused's friend called up the woman and sought sexual favours, he said, reported PTI. Based on the woman's complaint, a case was registered under sections 77 (voyeurism), 78 (stalking), 115(2), (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Information Technology Act, the official said. Brick kiln owner booked for assaulting couple in Thane district A case has been registered against a brick kiln owner for allegedly beating up a couple working for him in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Sunday, reported PTI. Based on a complaint lodged by the couple, the police have registered a case under sections 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 127(2) (Wrongful confinement) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, an official said. The couple, in their 40s, worked with the alleged accused, Dinesh Maghe, a resident of Bhiwandi, since June 2024, reported PTI. The official said that On Friday, the victims sought the accused's permission to visit their daughter, but he refused. However, they later managed to escape and were travelling to their village when he intercepted them and dragged them back to the kiln, where he allegedly beat them up, reported PTI. No arrests have been made in the case, and a probe is underway, he said. (With inputs from PTI)
20 January,2025 11:04 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn official said that the Mumbai police will likely recreate the crime scene at the Bandra home of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, who was repeatedly stabbed by an intruder, reported news agency PTI. The accused in the high-profile case, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi man, was arrested on Sunday morning from neighbouring Thane city. A court in Mumbai remanded the accused, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, in police custody for five days. According to the official, police will likely take Shehzad to Khan's home in 'Satguru Sharan' building during these five days to recreate the crime scene as part of their investigation, reported PTI. Shehzad sneaked into the Bollywood star's apartment in the early hours of January 16 with the intention of theft, police had said, reported PTI. Preliminary investigation suggests that he climbed the stairs to the seventh-eighth floor of the building where Khan and his actor wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan, live with their children and domestic staff, reported PTI. "He entered the duct area, climbed to the 12th floor using a pipe and entered the actor's flat through a bathroom window. He then came out from the bathroom, where the actor's staff spotted him, leading to the chain of events that culminated into the knife attack," an official had said earlier, reported PTI. The 54-year-old actor was stabbed multiple times in the attack, after which he underwent a five-hour surgery at nearby Lilavati Hospital. Two lawyers compete to represent accused, magistrate plays the referee The seriousness of the courtroom in Bandra, where a Bangladeshi man arrested for allegedly attacking actor Saif Ali Khan was presented on Sunday, momentarily dissipated when two lawyers jostled to represent him. The unusual drama concerning the high-profile case prompted the magistrate before whom the 30-year-old man had been brought for remand proceedings to act as referee and suggest to the lawyers to appear as a team. The court asked him if he had any complaints against the police to which Shehzad replied in the negative. He was then taken to a box meant for accused persons in the back end of the courtroom. A lawyer then came forward claiming to be appearing for the accused. However, the scene turned dramatic just before he could take the signature of the accused on the 'vakalatamana' (legal document authorising a lawyer to appear in a case). Another lawyer jostled his way to the accused box and took Shehzad's signature on his vakalatamana, triggering moments of confusion about who would appear for the alleged attacker. To defuse the situation, the magistrate suggested that both the competing lawyers represent Shehzad. "You both can appear," the magistrate said, bringing back the focus on the remand proceedings. The duo agreed. (With inputs from PTI)
20 January,2025 10:07 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Dindoshi police have registered another case against the gang allegedly involved in luring youth into sexual encounters through social media and dating apps. In the recent case, a 19-year-old student resident of Panvel got duped by them on January 8. A female member of the gang contacted the victim through a dating app and lured him near Oberoi Mall by offering money in exchange for sex. The victim travelled to Goregaon East and met the woman in a car. She later falsely accused him of running a sex racket and threatened to expose him and her male companion through the media. Subsequently, another gang member arrived, pretending to be a police officer, and threatened to register a case against the victim and arrest him. The trio then extorted Rs 6,000 in cash and a gold chain worth R40,000 from the victim. Realising he had been conned, the victim approached the Dindoshi police station and filed a complaint on Saturday. According to police sources, the Dindoshi police had uncovered this gang and arrested two members, Ruksar Shaikh, 24, a resident of Malwani, and Iqbal Khan, 35, a resident of Kandivli. However, two other accused, including one woman, identified as “Frank,” and Mohit Tak, alias Prashant,remain at large. “Arrested accused Iqbal Khan, along with two the absconding accused Frank and Mohit Tak, alias Prashant, defrauded the victim. This was disclosed during the arrested accused Khan’s interrogation,” said a police officer. Similar cases were registered against this gang at DN Nagar, Oshiwara, and Malad between 2020 and 2022, with Frank and Mohit being the main accused. Further investigation revealed several other cases have been registered against the absconding accused including charges of rape with POCSO in Malwani, and kidnapping in Borivli. Additionally, in 2018, in Jaipur, the CISF booked and arrested Mohit for making a hoax bomb threat call on a flight. Rukhsar has been remanded in judicial custody accused Iqbal Khan is still in police custody.
20 January,2025 09:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Bandra police on Sunday claimed they suspect an international conspiracy in the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, suggesting broader implications following the alleged involvement of an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant. The accused, identified as Mohammed Shariful Islam Shehzad, 30, alias Vijay Das, was apprehended in Thane after a massive manhunt conducted by the Mumbai police and the Crime Branch. During interrogation, the accused reportedly told the police he was unaware he had entered the actor’s house and only realised it after watching news reports on YouTube. He further admitted to planning his escape to Bangladesh. Sr PI Crime Branch Unit 09 Daya Nayak and his team were also part of the probe which helped in tracing the accused. The accused was produced before the Bandra holiday court on Sunday and remanded to five days of police custody. Advocate Sandeep Sherkhane, representing the accused, argued that his client is being made a scapegoat in the case and has no connection to the attack on Saif Ali Khan. Investigating officer S Gaikwad informed the court that the accused was involved in the attack, which caused serious injuries to the actor’s neck, wrist, and back. A portion of the knife used in the assault was lodged in Khan’s back and was surgically removed by doctors. The knife fragment has been seized as evidence. Gaikwad further stated that the accused had been absconding for three days before being arrested in Thane. Initial investigations revealed that the accused had no valid documents and is suspected to be a Bangladeshi national who illegally crossed the border into India via West Bengal. “He has been residing here for the past 5-6 months, working at various places. He is familiar with the residences of other celebrities. We are investigating whether an international conspiracy is involved, as the attack on the actor could have broader implications,” Gaikwad told the court while seeking 14 days of custody. The defence lawyer, Sandeep Sherkhane, countered the claims, asserting that his client has been residing in Mumbai for the past seven years and has a family. “He is being made a scapegoat in this case simply because it involves a celebrity. He has no connection to the incident,” Sherkhane argued. Gaikwad, while pushing for extended custody, added that the police need to verify how the accused entered India, who assisted him, and why he specifically targeted the actor’s residence. “It appears theft was not the only motive, and we need to determine if others are involved in the case,” he said. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court remanded the accused to five days of police custody for further investigation. In a media briefing, DCP Dixit Gedam stated that the accused lacked valid Indian documents and is suspected to be a Bangladeshi national. “As a result, sections of the Foreigners Act have also been added to the case,” Gedam said. Theft was motive According to sources, the accused was apprehended in Thane and asked to produce identification documents, but he had none. Upon questioning, he revealed his name and admitted he was from Bangladesh. When asked to provide his address in writing, he disclosed: Village: Rajbaria, Police Station: Nalchity, District: Jhalokati, Bangladesh. Sources stated that the accused worked with a housekeeping company. The company contract expired during the first week of January. On January 9, he came to Mumbai from Thane and briefly worked near Bhabha Hospital at a lodge for three days. From there, he spotted Saif Ali Khan’s building and noticed security lapses. He planned to enter the building with the intent of theft. Late on January 16, the accused climbed into the premises from an adjacent building using a shaft. He then took the stairs to the 10th floor and used the fire duct to enter the 11th floor, where the actor resides with his family. The accused entered a washroom but panicked when a housemaid spotted him. In an attempt to escape, he attacked everyone who approached him. Officials revealed that the accused was unaware he had entered Saif Ali Khan’s residence until he later saw the news on YouTube. “He was planning to escape, but we received timely information. A team of over 100 police officials from the eastern region was dispatched to Thane, and the accused was apprehended,” said Satyanarayan Chaudhary, joint commissioner, law and order.
20 January,2025 08:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanADVERTISEMENT
