Mumbai: Almost 15 days ago, an incident shocked Mumbai. Initially considered a simple theft, it soon turned into a national debate, raising serious questions about security and law enforcement. The Mumbai Police came under intense scrutiny as the case unfolded, shaking public confidence in the city's safety measures.

The incident involved an alleged break-in actor Saif Ali Khan's residence, which escalated into a brutal knife attack on the actor. Once the news broke, Mumbaikars were stunned, and discussions about the attack spread rapidly across the country.

On January 29, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Bandra ruled that the investigation and evidence collection were nearly complete. The accused had already spent 10 days in police custody, and the court sent the accused, Shariful Islam, 30, to judicial custody for 14 days.

On January 16, at around 2:00 AM, an unidentified intruder allegedly entered 54-year-old Saif Ali Khan's residence in Bandra West with the intent of theft. The actor's residence is located on the 11th and 12th floors of Satguru Sharan, at the junction of 24th and 25th Road, in front of Grand Residency Hotel, near St. Theresa School, Bandra West.

The accused jumped over the compound wall of the building, entered the premises, and climbed part of the way using a water pipe while using the staircase for the remaining ascent. He reached the bathroom duct on the 10th floor and, through the duct, accessed the 11th floor.

He entered the 11th floor bathroom attached to the room of Saif Ali Khan's four-year-old son, Jahangir (Jeh), reportedly with the intention of theft.

When he tried to enter the room from the bathroom, Jeh’s nanny, Eliyama Philips (alias Lima), 56, saw him. When she attempted to approach Jeh, the accused told her not to make any noise. Another nanny, Junu, also woke up.

The accused allegedly attacked Eliyama with a hacksaw blade and a wooden stick, causing injuries to her little fingers on both hands and the middle finger of her left hand. When she asked what he wanted, the accused replied in English, "One crore rupees." By then, nanny Junu had stepped out of the room and shouted for help.

Upon hearing the commotion, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor rushed to Jeh’s room. When Saif confronted the intruder and asked who he was and what he wanted, the accused attacked him. During the scuffle, another nanny, Geeta, intervened and sustained injuries. The accused allegedly attacked the actor with weapons.

Saif reportedly tried to restrain him with both hands, but the intruder managed to stab him six times in the neck with a sharp weapon, weakening Saif’s grip. Everyone, including Saif, exited the room and locked it from inside the flat. However, the accused managed to flee the same way he had entered. Four male servants—Ramesh, Hari, Ramu, and Paswan—also woke up.

Saif’s family and staff went to the 12th floor, then returned to the 11th floor and reopened Jeh’s room, only to find that the accused had escaped.

During the attack, Saif sustained serious injuries to his neck, right shoulder, spine, and hand. A part of the weapon remained lodged in his spine. The actor, along with his son Taimur and another individual took an auto-rickshaw to Lilavati Hospital, reaching at 2:47 AM.

The actor's family reportedly called the actor's friend, Afsar Zaidi, who completed the admission process by 4:11 AM. After Saif arrived at Lilavati Hospital, the hospital informed the police about the incident.

By morning, news of the attack spread, shocking the city. Several celebrities expressed concerns about Mumbai’s security and questioned the police’s efficiency. The accused’s first CCTV footage and image went viral.

On January 17, the police detained an individual resembling the suspect in the CCTV footage. However, after interrogation, they released him, revealing their first mistaken lead. On January 18, another suspect, Akash Kanojia, 31, was detained by the Raipur Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Durg, Chhattisgarh, while travelling on the Jnaneswari Express train.

The RPF issued a press release and photo of the suspect, stating that they had detained him based on a tip-off from the Mumbai Police. However, it was later revealed that he was not the real accused. Meanwhile, additional CCTV footage of the accused surfaced, showing him purchasing headphones outside Dadar railway station.

The police launched an extensive search operation, with the Crime Branch and nearby police stations assisting Bandra police. More than 30 teams were deployed to track down the accused.

Eventually, on Sunday, January 19, at 2:00 AM, Mumbai Police, with the help of Thane Police, arrested the real accused in Thane. After extensive efforts and several false leads, Mumbai Police finally captured the suspect 72 hours later. Nearly 100 police personnel were deployed at a labour camp behind Hiranandani Estate in Thane West for the arrest.

The accused was identified as Shariful Islam Shahzad (30), a Bangladeshi citizen. The investigation revealed that he had entered India illegally and that his motive for the crime was merely theft. However, on social media, people questioned whether the arrested suspect was the real culprit.

On Sunday morning, Dixit Gedam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 9), held a press conference, confirming that the accused was a Bangladeshi national. On the same day, the accused was presented before the holiday court at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bandra.

The court granted five days of police custody, stating that the possibility of an international conspiracy could not be ruled out, given that the attacker was from Bangladesh.

Over the next five days, several theories and unanswered questions emerged, but no official statements clarified the situation. On January 24, the police presented the accused in court again and sought a seven-day extension of his custody.

The court extended his custody until January 29, approving the request based on substantial progress in the investigation and directing the Bandra police to explore other critical aspects of the case.

On January 26, some media outlets reported that the arrested accused’s fingerprints did not match those collected from the crime scene, further intensifying doubts about his identity.

Eventually, On January 27, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home Minister portfolio, instructed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to address the media and clear up the confusion.

On January 28, Additional Commissioner of Police (West Zone) Paramjit Singh Dahiya held a press conference, emphasizing that they had arrested the real accused with strong evidence.

On January 29, when the police presented the accused in court and sought an extension of his custody, the court rejected the request and sent him to judicial custody. Currently, a team from Bandra Police is in Kolkata, investigating how the accused entered India from Bangladesh, who assisted him, and his financial transactions.

The police are also awaiting blood, fingerprint, and facial recognition reports. An identity parade will be conducted in judicial custody, and further developments will be revealed soon.