Cops claim Shariful Islam, the Bangladeshi attacker of Saif Ali Khan, had tried to enter SRK’s residence Mannat two days before assault
Crime Branch officials at Saif Ali Khan’s Bandra residence following the attack on January 16. Pic/Anurag Ahire
Saif’s attacker, Shariful Islam, 30, is a movie buff and a die-hard fan of actor Shah Rukh Khan. During interrogation, the accused confirmed to the police that he had attempted to enter Mannat two days before attacking Saif. He dreamt of meeting Shah Rukh someday and wanted to see him before returning to his home country, Bangladesh.
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Following the incident, SRK’s team informed the police about someone attempting to enter his bungalow on January 14. The attacker, Shariful, also claimed that he loves Hindi music and finds it difficult to go without listening to Bollywood songs on his phone. His love for music played a vital role in solving the case. Apart from the CCTV footage recovered from Saif’s apartment, the police got another important lead when the accused was spotted in Dadar purchasing earphones to listen to Bollywood songs, which were part of his daily routine.
Image from CCTV footage of the suspect on the day of the incident. PIC/PTI (right) Shariful Islam after his arrest in Thane, on January 19. PIC/DIWAKAR SHARMA
Shariful Islam told the police that after the attack, he slept at the National College bus stop in Bandra, where his headphones broke. In the morning, after waking up at 7.30 am, he travelled to Dadar by train and immediately purchased a new pair of headphones for R50 from a local shop. During the investigation, Shariful repeatedly mentioned that he is a die-hard fan of Shah Rukh Khan. In Bangladesh, his friends compare him to the actor, and he even maintains the same hairstyle as SRK, imitating his style.
A police officer stated, “Shariful told us that he is a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan and, whenever he gets time, he listens to Bollywood songs. He also enjoys watching Bollywood movies, especially SRK’s films. Recently, he watched Pathaan and Jawan, and he had previously watched Fan, a movie in which an SRK fan attempts to enter his bungalow, Mannat.”
The police also revealed that on January 13, Shariful hired an auto-rickshaw from Bandra station. The driver took him around to several celebrity residences, including those of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Rekha. The next day, Shariful reached SRK’s bungalow, where he found a ladder and attempted to use it to climb the wall. However, the ladder was too short, forcing him to abandon his plan. A police officer further explained, “He clarified that he had no intention of robbery or trespassing—he only wanted to meet SRK as he is a devoted fan.”
The accused also detailed his movements after the attack. He told the police, “After attacking Saif, I reached the National College bus stop, where I slept until 7.30 am. At night, I was listening to Bollywood songs on my phone at the bus stop. When I woke up in the morning, I realised my headphones were broken. I then walked to Bandra station, destroying evidence along the way. Later, I took the 8.37 am slow train to Churchgate from Bandra and reached Dadar at 8.44 am. After arriving in Dadar, I first bought a new pair of headphones for Rs 50.”
