Even after almost 48 hours, the Mumbai police have not been able to track down the man who stabbed actor Saif Ali Khan in his penthouse at Bandra (W). The investigation has yielded no significant leads so far, with only a single photo of the attacker climbing down the steps of the actor’s building Satguru Sharan as evidence. Based on this photo, the police are investigating the case, which has proven to be quite challenging.
On Friday morning, the police picked up a man on suspicion, but he turned out to be innocent. Late in the evening they detained another person and interrogated him. But they have not made any head way.
The police have not been able to answer the key question as to who opened the door for the assailant. There is no evidence of forced entry into the apartment. Apart from the two female nurses who were tasked with looking after the actor’s two sons, there were four other male servants – Ramesh, Hari, Ramu and Paswan. Did any of them know the assailant and let him into the apartment? The police was not forthcoming on this and other aspects of the crime. According to the autorickshaw driver Bhajan Lal who ferried the actor to Lilavati Hospital, apart from a man, a child (apparently Taimur) was in the three-wheeler. It is baffling why Kareen Kapoor, the actor’s second wife, let their seven-year-old child Taimur accompany his bleeding father to hospital while she stayed back with her other child, Jeh.
They have formed 35 teams, including 15 from the crime branch, yet they have not succeeded in apprehending the accused. According to sources, the Bandra police, crime branch, and nearby police stations are all involved in the search. The police have recorded statements of over 22 individuals, including the actor’s house staff and workers who had visited his house for small tasks like furniture repairs. Additionally, the police are reviewing CCTV footage from all the city’s exit points.
On Friday morning, the Bandra police nabbed an individual from Falkland Road in South Mumbai, who resembled the accused. However, after investigation, the police released him. The suspect had a history of theft cases filed against him, which was why he was interrogated. Meanwhile, there are rumors that on January 14, a similar-looking man attempted to enter actor Shah Rukh Khan’s bungalow, but Dixit Gedam, deputy commissioner of zone IX denied any such development. Meanwhile Satyanarayan Chaudhary, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order said that no arrests have been made.
Sources reveal that the accused is not a repeat offender (history-sheeter) and did not use any electronic devices during the crime. These two factors have made it difficult for the police to gather significant clues. Typically, if the accused were a known criminal, the police would have received information from their informants. However, in this case, the accused appears to be a first-time offender. Police believe he is still in the Bandra, Khar, or nearby areas and has not left the city or suburbs. They are repeatedly reviewing CCTV footage from Bandra, Bandra station, and the surrounding areas. Since the incident occurred at night, it has been challenging for the police to collect clear footage. At this stage, the investigation remains stalled, with no solid evidence or strong leads to identify the accused.
A senior police officer, speaking to the media, stated that the accused carried a backpack, which might have contained tools. used to break the door and gain access to the actor’s residence.
Bhajan Singh, an auto driver who transported the actor to Lilavati Hospital, shared his account with the media. He said, “I was driving my auto near a building when a woman called out loudly, ‘Auto! Auto!’ I made a U-turn and approached the gate. I saw a man in a night suit, soaked in blood, standing at the back. I didn’t recognise him at first, I thought someone was badly injured. Later, I realised it was Saif Ali Khan. He was accompanied by a child and another man. I didn’t see Kareena Kapoor there. I didn’t think much at the time, I was just focused on getting the injured man to the hospital as quickly as possible.”
