Cops say he did not bring a phone along and likely changed clothes multiple times, rendering cell phone or camera tracking useless
A still from footage of the suspect captured by a CCTV camera in Juhu after the incident
Almost two days after the attack on actor Saif Ali Khan, the Bandra police and the Mumbai Crime Branch were yet to apprehend the accused. Officials believe the suspect appears to be a professional thief, judging by his entry and escape from the actor’s Bandra West building, Satguru Sharan. Despite having photographs and CCTV footage, the police have not been able to identify or locate the accused.
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We have checked our records, but no one matching the suspect’s appearance has been found,” a senior Mumbai Police officer said. With digital evidence yielding no breakthroughs, the police are relying on human intelligence. Multiple dedicated teams are analysing CCTV footage to track the suspect’s route. The cops have learnt that he changed his clothes to evade the police.
The police had received information about a person in South Mumbai resembling the accused and the individual was brought to the Bandra police station for questioning. “While the person bore a 99 per cent resemblance to the suspect, a thorough interrogation and review of records revealed he was not the same person, as he was elsewhere at the time of the incident. The person was later released,” a source said.
Forensic clues
The forensic team that examined Saif’s house recovered multiple fingerprints belonging to the accused. These were checked against police records, but no matches were found. “The manhunt is in full swing. Around 40 teams from the Crime Branch and Bandra police are working on the case. We are also sharing the fingerprints with other state police departments to check if the individual appears in their records,” an officer said.
Insights from CCTV footage
The police suspect the accused avoided using a mobile phone, as no suspicious activity was found in the tower dump data analysed. CCTV footage from Saif’s building staircase shows the suspect entering at 1.37 am with his face covered and leaving at 2.33 am with his face uncovered. This footage remains the most significant clue the police have so far. Sources revealed that the accused was spotted by a CCTV camera near Link Road in Bandra on the morning of the attack.
“Human intelligence has been activated, and we are following up on leads based on the suspect’s appearance in CCTV footage. Several people are being questioned, but the accused seems to be a professional who managed to avoid being captured clearly by most cameras,” an officer said.
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