On January 16, 2025, at his Bandra residence in Mumbai, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan came under attack by an intruder identified as Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, also known as Vijay Das.
The assailant struck Khan multiple times with a knife, inflicting serious injuries that necessitated surgery. A female employee in the house at the time of the attack was also injured. Both victims survived the attack.
Farooq Abdullah’s Statement
With the revelation of the attacker’s nationality, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah stressed that an entire nation should not be brought down over an individual act. “It is that man, not the nation…How many illegal Indians are in America? President Trump just gave the figures. What would you call that?” Abdullah’s words faultlessly separate the act with its individual motivations from what it represents with respect to a community or nation.
Details of the Attack
The incident occurred in the morning hours of January 16 when the intruder entered Khan’s 12th-floor apartment in an upscale area of Bandra. The assailant attacked Khan with a knife as he confronted him, thus injuring him multiple times, among which a gash close to his spine was very significant.
Khan underwent a five-hour-long surgery at Lilavati Hospital during which a piece of the knife was removed from his body. Post-surgery, he was transferred to the ICU and was discharged five days later.
Arrest of the Assailant
On January 19, the Mumbai police arrested the suspect from a labor camp in Thane, a neighboring city. Investigations revealed that Shariful Islam was an illegal immigrant to India, residing under the alias of Vijay Das. Preliminary reports suggest that the intruder entered the house of a Bollywood star without being aware of it, primarily intending to steal.
Two other suspects have been taken into custody, and the police are also looking into possible international conspiracy aspects of the case.
Political Reactions and Security Concerns
Various political figures across the Indian subcontinent have reacted to the attack on Saif Ali Khan, in many different fashion. Minister of State for Home in Maharashtra, Deepak Kesarkar, took to commenting upon the opposition for trying to politicize the case.
They state that a “wrong angle” was another angle given to the case, due to the actor’s surname. And he did state that Mumbai is not unsafe and that the opposition is maligning the police force.
This incident also raises security concerns, particularly around the high-profile persons who reside in the city of Mumbai. Residents and also the entire Bollywood community are frightened that this is a reflection of security loopholes, thereby discussing the need for enhancing security measures within their complexes.
Legal Proceedings
As per sources, the suspect was produced before a court after his arrest and remanded in police custody for five days. The court said it cannot rule out any international conspiracy at this stage, therefore warranting an in-depth probe. Also being examined by the police are the suspect’s backgrounds, what he was up to prior to the attack, and possible accomplices.
