A Mumbai court has granted the city police five days’ custody of Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national accused of breaking into actor Saif Ali Khan’s home and injuring him and his staff during an alleged burglary attempt late Wednesday night.

Shariful was arrested early Thursday morning in Thane after being tracked by the police. According to officials, he had entered India illegally and had been living in Mumbai for the past few months under the alias Bijoy Das. Following his arrest, he was presented in court, where the police sought a 14-day custody, citing the need to investigate his illegal entry, local accomplices, and activities in Mumbai.

Police revealed that the actor, 54, sustained six stab injuries, including one near his spine. During the attack, the knife allegedly broke into three pieces, with one shard recovered from Khan’s body. The police are still searching for the remaining pieces of the weapon and the blood-stained clothes Shariful allegedly wore during the incident, as they are crucial for evidence and forensic analysis.

The public prosecutor emphasized that Shariful had prior knowledge of the high-security Bandra locality, home to several celebrities, and acted according to a premeditated plan. Despite the tight security in the area, he managed to breach the actor’s residence, which the prosecution claims was part of a calculated attempt.

The defense, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless. Shariful’s lawyer, Dinesh Prajapati, argued that the case had gained prominence solely because a celebrity was involved. He claimed his client was being falsely implicated, and no evidence had been presented to prove his Bangladeshi nationality. “Nothing has been recovered from him, and no documents have been provided to establish his identity as a Bangladeshi national,” Prajapati told the media. 

The investigation continues as the police probe deeper into Shariful’s background and possible connections in the city.