MUMBAI: The Mumbai police on Sunday said that they have arrested Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad, a 30-year-old man suspected of stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan during a robbery at his Mumbai residence on early morning Thursday. Shahzad, who is said to be a Bangladeshi citizen who had entered India illegally, was apprehended in Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai.

The breakthrough which came in within three days after the incident was a result of multiple teams of Mumbai police working relentlessly to track the accused based on several inputs and analysed footage from several CCTV cameras. They also picked up several people on suspicion who were investigated, howeve,r the breakthrough came in the early morning hours when Shehzad was traced to a labour camp in a forested area in Thane based on the information provided by a labour contractor based at the Hiranandani Estate on Ghodbandar Road.

Dixit Gedam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone 9 said during a press conference, that the accused entered the residence of the actor with the intent to commit theft around 2 AM on January 16, during which Saif Ali Khan was attacked and sustained serious injuries, including stab wounds to his thoracic spine. 

According to Gedam, primary evidence suggested that the accused is a Bangladeshi citizen and after entering India illegally he changed his name. Gedam said, "He does not have valid Indian documents. Some items seized indicate that he is a Bangladeshi national, and has changed his name" 

The DCP said that the accused who came to Mumbai five to six months ago was using multiple aliases and was currently, using Vijay Das as his name. "He stayed in Mumbai for a few days and then in the vicinity of Mumbai. He used to work in a Housekeeping agency." 

Shahzad was presented in a court which remanded him to five days of police custody to facilitate further investigation. The police are exploring the possibility of an international conspiracy behind the attack. During the proceedings, defence lawyer Sandeep D Sherkhane contended his client was residing in the country for several years and had documents to prove it and that his family was also living in India.

Saif who sustained serious injuries, including a knife lodged near his spine, underwent surgery at Lilavati Hospital and is reported to be recovering well. The surgery, which involved removing a 2.5-inch-long blade, was successful, and while Saif was "out of danger," even as doctors and medical staff continued to monitor his condition closely.