'International Conspiracy Cannot Be Ruled Out': Court Sends Saif Ali Khan's Attacker To 5-Day Police Custody

Police said that the alleged attacker Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad was a Bangladeshi national who had illegally entered India and changed his name to Bijoy Das to hide his Bangladeshi origins.

A Mumbai court on Sunday remanded the suspect arrested in the Saif Ali Khan attack case in police custody till January 24 after observing that an international conspiracy cannot be ruled out.

The Mumbai Police told court that the alleged attacker was a Bangladeshi national and there was need to find the motive behind his act. Police also told court they needed to find out if there was an international conspiracy linked to the case.

Accepting the police's contention, the court said the prosecution's submission of international conspiracy cannot be said to be impossible.

"The accused is a citizen of Bangladesh. The suspicion of international conspiracy cannot be said to be impossible. So, sufficient time has to be given to the investigating officer. Therefore, granting police custody of 5 days," the court said.

Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, the alleged accused in the Saif Ali Khan attack case, was brought to the Bandra Court earlier in the day following his arrest. The police sought 14-day custody, which was contested by the defence lawyer.

Police said that the alleged attacker Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad was a Bangladeshi national who had illegally entered India and changed his name to Bijoy Das to hide his Bangladeshi origins. Shehzad was arrested from adjoining Thane city.

Meanwhile, the defence lawyer opposed the request for custody, arguing that the accused is not a Bangladeshi but an Indian citizen who lives in Mumbai.

"A police custody for 5 days has been granted. The court has asked the police to submit a report within 5 days. The police have no proof that he is a Bangladeshi. They said that he came here 6 months ago, it is a wrong statement. He has been living here for more than 7 years. His family is in Mumbai... This is a clear-cut violation of 43A. No proper investigation has been done," the defence lawyer said.

However, the Mumbai Police said that the preliminary evidence revealed that the attacker is a Bangladeshi and does not have any valid Indian identity proof.

As per preliminary probe, he had entered the Bollywood star's home, in Satguru Sharan building in Bandra, in the early hours of January 16 with the intention of theft. Khan (54) was stabbed multiple times in the attack, after which he underwent a five-hour surgery in nearby Lilavati Hospital.