Mumbai woke up to unsettling news last week as Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan was attacked by an intruder at his Bandra residence. The shocking incident led to a massive police investigation with 600 cops involved and within 72 hours authorities arrested a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national named Shariful Islam Shehzad, for the crime. However, despite the arrest a heated debate has erupted online. Netizens have taken to social media platforms to question if the police have apprehended the right individual. The discrepancy between the suspect’s appearance and the earlier released CCTV footage has raised eyebrows.
Saif Ali Khan Attacker Arrest
On Sunday, the police nabbed Shariful Islam Shehzad from Thane about 35 kilometers away from Saif Ali Khan’s residence. Shehzad, who allegedly confessed to the crime was living in India under the false identity of Bijoy Das. According to officials, he broke into the actor’s house with the intention of theft, leading to a violent encounter in which, Saif Ali Khan attacker stabbed him multiple times. The actor is now recovering after undergoing surgery at Lilavati Hospital.
Police sources revealed that Shehzad was planning to flee to his native village in Bangladesh when he was caught. A court has remanded him to police custody for five days, during which investigators plan to recreate the crime scene at Khan’s home as part of their probe. The case has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Netizens React Over Saif Ali Khan Attacker Arrest
Despite the arrest, the online community to accept the fact. In an earlier released CCTV footage, caught from Saif’s building which captured a man exiting the premises shortly after the attack. Reddit users have been comparing screenshots of the CCTV footage to Shehzad’s image shared by the police. The inconsistencies in appearance have sparked skepticism.
One Redditor posted a picture of the guy arrested by the police on Sunday and captioned it questioning “How did they get the right guy this time?” In the comments comparison of the suspect and the man from the footage raises eyebrow, captioned, flooding thread of reactions with one user stating, “Why do I feel the original guy is still out there and they just picked someone random?” Another added, “He doesn’t look like the guy in the CCTV footage. His face doesn’t match at all.”
This mighty powerful highly intelligent spy evaded security at the Main Gate of Saif Ali Khan's building & entered Saif's house at 10th floor.
— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) January 16, 2025
He stabbed Saif Ali Khan 6 times, again evaded security and escaped.
Believe it if you want. pic.twitter.com/ySMN74DZ8f
Many users highlighted the stark differences between the suspect’s appearance and the man seen in the CCTV footage. “Itna young se buddha kaise ho gaya?” (How did he turn from young to old?) quipped one user. Others questioned the absence of footage showing the suspect entering the building. “Why are there no clips of him getting in? Something doesn’t add up,” commented another.
Some users went as far as to claim that the police might have hurried to close the case under pressure. “Bro, yeh toh aur bhi alag lag raha hai. Mumbai police pagal ho gayi hai,” (This guy looks completely different. Has Mumbai police lost it?) said another commenter.
Investigation Continues
The police are likely to release further evidence to support their case including Shehzad’s movements leading up to and following the attack. Meanwhile, Saif Ali Khan’s fans and the broader public await clarity. The actor has not yet made any public statement and his family has requested privacy during this challenging time.
While the arrest of the alleged attacker may seem like a breakthrough, the questions raised by the public cannot be ignored. Is Shariful Islam Shehzad the real culprit, or is there more to this story? As the investigation unfolds, one can only hope for justice and closure for Saif Ali Khan and his family.