Saif Ali Khan attacker tracked police on YouTube while hiding in Thane jungle

The 30-year-old Bangladeshi national Shariful Islam Shehzad, who attacked actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence in January, had been closely monitoring the police investigation through his internet-enabled smartphone where he watched multiple news channels on YouTube while he was on the run from Mumbai to Thane to evade his arrest, claims the charge sheet.

The tech-savvy Shariful, who had already reached a labour camp in Thane’s Hirnandani area after dodging Mumbai police, had switched off his mobile phone, but his curiosity to know the police investigation was so high that he would switch on the device to live stream news channels for the update. But he would only go to nearby jungle to switch on his cellphone so that his exact mobile tower location could not be traced by the large team of Mumbai police desperately working on the case to solve it.

During his interrogation with the Investigating Officer (IO) Inspector Ajay Lingnurkar of Bandra police, Shariful said that after his face was seen in the multiple news channels, he was suggested by his employer Amit Pandey to escape to Bangladesh.

At the time of discreetly sneaking into the Khan’s Bandra residence, Shariful was not aware that it was the house of an actor. By the time he learnt about his victim being an Indian actor, he came under tremendous pressure. During questioning, Shariful told Bandra police that he purchased headphones for Rs 50 cash from Dadar to listen to songs to alleviate his mental pressure.

Later, he reached Worli home. The excerpts of his questioning: 

How did you pay to purchase the headphones?
Shariful: I had Rs 700 cash, so I paid Rs 50 cash to purchase the headphone at Dadar station and later I boarded a bus, paid Rs 6 for the ticket and reached Worli. 
In the evening, (Amit) Pandey sir called me and told me that ‘my face is being shown in news channels, do one thing, you go to your village’.
Pandey sir knew that I was the one who attacked a man in Bandra.

Do you know whose house you tried to burgle?
Shariful: After watching news channels, I learnt that it was the house of a ‘superstar’, whose name is ‘Saib Ali Khan’ (sic). Later I realised what I did.

You did not know that it was the house of an actor?
Shariful: No, sir, I did not know before entering the house.

You did not watch his movies ever?
Shariful: Yes, I have watched his movies, but I did not know that he lives in this area.

So, you did not identify him that he is the same one you saw in movies?
Shariful: No sir, he was clean shaved. Also, it was a dimly-lit surrounding, so I could not identify him.

So, did you check his identity on your mobile phone? Where did you check your mobile phone?
Shariful: Yes sir, I checked on YouTube in my mobile phone. It was the house of ‘Saib Ali Khan’ (sic).

What did you see there?
Shariful: I saw that the injured Khan was being taken to the hospital. He was stabbed four/five times on his back. So, I switched off my mobile phone. Next morning I took a transport and reached Thane where I had lived for four months. I was arrested in Thane.

Do you have friends in Thane?
Shariful: I know a few people with whom I worked in the past.

From where were you arrested?
Shariful: I was arrested in a jungle in Thane.

Why did you go to the jungle?
Shariful: I had to watch my mobile phone, so I went to the jungle area to avoid it being tracked. Later, I would switch off my cell phone.