MUMBAI: A Bangladeshi national, arrested for breaking into actor Saif Ali Khan's home and stabbing him, reportedly resorted to crime due to his extreme poverty. Identified as Shariful, police revealed that he was initially a fan of Shah Rukh Khan and had previously attempted to scale the walls of the iconic actor's residence, Mannat, to catch a glimpse of him.

Shariful entered India by crossing the Dawki river at the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, paying ₹10,000 to an agent for his journey. After reaching Mumbai, he struggled to find stable employment. Following the loss of his second job at a Thane restaurant, he decided to commit a burglary, leading to the attack on Saif Ali Khan during the early morning of January 16.

According to police reports, Shariful strolled for approximately 90 minutes to reach Bandra, equipped with tools such as a screwdriver and hacksaw blade. He had stolen the knife used in the attack from his previous workplace. After stabbing Saif, Shariful remained in the vicinity for hours before taking a train to Dadar, completely unaware that he had targeted a prominent film actor.

During his interrogation, the police uncovered that before his assault on Saif, Shariful relied on unsustainable jobs, sending much of his earnings back to his family in Bangladesh for his mother's medical treatment. "He said his friends and family often told him he looked like Shah Rukh Khan, which inflated his ego," said an officer. This sentiment, coupled with his dire financial situation, eventually led him to commit the attack, which he claimed was unplanned.

The Mumbai police tracked Shariful's movements through an e-wallet transaction that revealed his purchases, including a ₹6 cup of tea and a ₹60 plate of bhurji pav. They also secured his personal items, which are currently being analyzed at the forensics lab.

Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding the incident, police continue to investigate the networks that facilitated Shariful's illegal entry into India and his subsequent actions. For further details, visit the full report from Times of India.