Saif Ali Khan Attack: Accused Recced Bandra Area, Was Planning To Break Into Another House In Actor's Building

The randomness of the attack on Saif Ali Khan's household was highlighted by the suspect's alleged confession to the police that he had attempted to break into another flat in the same building before entering the actor's residence on the 11th floor.

Khan occupies the top four floors of the 13-storey Sadguru Sharan building. After failing to gain access to the other flat, the suspect reportedly entered Khan's home through a duct.

Photo Credit: PTI

The unemployed Shariful reportedly conducted a recce on December 31, 2024, leaving a temporary staff room in Worli-Koliwada for a New Year's Eve walk, according to a Times of India report.

According to police, he arrived at Bandra station and hired an autorickshaw to explore areas in Bandra and Khar throughout the night.

"He even inquired with the rickshaw driver, whom he hired, to take him to the locality that houses businessmen and celebrities. After studying the topography, he planned to strike on the night of January 15," said police.

At midnight on 16 January, Shariful reached Bandra station and opted to walk instead of using public transport, as per his statement to police.

He walked for nearly two hours, navigating from Bandra to Khar, before finally arriving at Sadguru Sharan, where Khan resides with his actress-wife Kareena Kapoor Khan and their family.

Shariful reportedly took several bylanes in Khar to avoid being caught on CCTV cameras and eventually reached the 13-storey building. He later told police that he found the building sufficiently opulent and decided to proceed with his plan.

He gained entry to the premises by jumping over a four-foot wall of an adjacent property. The watchman at Sadguru Sharan was reportedly asleep.

Shariful then used a ladder he found on the premises to climb 12 feet to a duct, using the pipeline to ascend. However, upon encountering a pigeon mesh on the fourth floor, he exited the duct, entered the fire escape stairwell, and climbed up to the 10th floor.

"This was when his image was captured (his face covered with a scarf) by the only CCTV camera, located on the sixth floor. On the 10th floor, he re-entered the duct and climbed into the actor's flat through the bathroom window," explained a police officer.

After fleeing Khan's apartment on the 11th floor at around 2:30 am on 16 January, Shariful reportedly jumped 12 feet from the first-floor level to the ground floor to escape. By this time, the household was in disarray.

A maid who spotted the intruder outside the actor's son's bedroom raised the alarm, triggering a confrontation between the intruder, Khan, and the domestic staff.

The family attempted to confine the intruder in a room but were unable to secure the door. When the family rushed downstairs to seek assistance, the intruder managed to escape.

"The victims thought they had locked the door, but it seems the intruder locked it from the inside before fleeing through the fire escape stairwell, as captured by the CCTV," said the police.